From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Kentucky RB Ray Davis.
#1 RAY DAVIS/RB KENTUCKY – 5083, 211 POUNDS (R-SENIOR)
Senior Bowl
2024 NFL Scouting Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Ray Davis | 5083/211 | 8 7/8 | 30 1/4 | 72 1/4 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.52 | 1.56 | 4.51 | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’11” | 35 | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Solid contact balance and overall play strength
– Solid footwork approaching the line of scrimmage with decisive cuts
– Good hands and ability to track the ball in the air as a receiver
– Great ball security with no fumbles in college despite high number of touches
– Strong and willing blocker picking up the blitz in pass pro
– Solid vision
THE BAD
– Small, compact frame
– Turns 25 in his rookie season
– Lacks high-end athletic ability and breakaway speed
– Stops his feet when lowering his shoulder into contact at times
– Short-area quickness and burst are just adequate and won’t make many NFL defenders miss in space
BIO
– Originally a three-star prospect out of Blair Academy in New Jersey
– 24 years old, will be 25 in November
– Played two seasons at Temple, two at Vanderbilt, and one at Kentucky
– 37 career starts in 44 games
– First Division I player to rush for 1,000 yards at three different schools
– Rushed for 100 yards in 12 of his 37 starts
– Gained 3,626 yards and 29 touchdowns on 746 rushing attempts
– Caught 94 passes for 762 yards and 12 touchdowns
– Scored 21 total touchdowns in 2023 with Kentucky
– First-team All-SEC in 2023
– Zero college fumbles
– Season-ending knee injury in 2021 after first three games
– Grew up unhoused and in the foster care system
– Graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in communications studies
– Four-sport athlete in high school: basketball, baseball, track, and football
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Davis doesn’t have the best overall athleticism in the class, but he is decisive and has good footwork to make one cut and get north and south as a runner. He won’t break away from NFL defenders with his speed, but it also isn’t a huge drawback either. He had plenty of explosive plays in college, like in the first play of the clip below. In the second play of the clip, he does a nice job pressing the line of scrimmage near the goal line to draw defenders in before cutting outside for an easy touchdown.
He is also solid as a receiver and tracks the ball well in the air. The second play of this clip, he tracked the ball over his shoulder and hauled it in with a defender in phase with him. He can run wheel routes or more traditional RB routes like swings and hooks and has nice vision with the ball in his hands to maximize his yards after the catch.
As a blocker, he is strong enough and willing enough to get the job done. He will sometimes lower his shoulder and block with his pads rather than his hands, but he has also shown the ability to square up and use his hands to sustain a block.
His contact balance is solid, but he leaves some yards on the table by not using his off hand as a weapon. In this run, he should have switched the ball to his outside arm and stiff-armed the defender to free himself for more yards.
Between power and finesse, he doesn’t really have a calling card. He is good, not great, at both of them. Sometimes this will get him in trouble as he will try to shake a defender with quickness and ends up dancing in space when he could gain extra yards by lowering his shoulder.
CONCLUSION
Davis has a lot of college experience and was very productive for three different programs. In 2023, he proved that he can be a weapon as a runner and a receiver, and he was a bell cow for the Wildcats. His athletic profile is solid, but it will not be the primary reason he wins. He does everything pretty well, but nothing great. His age and number of college carries are a concern and the knee injury in 2021 doesn’t help matters. My pro comparison for him is Darrell Henderson Jr.
Projection: Early-Mid Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.4 – Rotational Player (4th Round)
Games Watched: vs Clemson (2023), at Louisville (2023), at Georgia (2023)
