Josh Davis
Scouts Grade: 65
Strengths: Is as natural as it gets in terms of his pass catching and route running. Is quick, fluid and smooth. Has a great feel for reading coverages, finding soft spots and setting DB's up vs. man-to-man. He is one of those guys that lacks explosive speed but just knows how to separate. Is extremely fluid in and out of his breaks. Shows burst out of his cuts without having to gear down. He is subtle and has a lot of quick double moves that he uses to get open. He knows how to work back to his quarterback and is a WR that consistently seems to bail his QB out of bad situations. His hands are outstanding. He rarely drops a catchable pass and he shows the consistent ability to pluck on the run and catch over his shoulder. He gives a solid effort as a blocker, as well.
Weaknesses: Lacks ideal NFL measurables. Has just adequate height, bulk, strength and speed. Could have some trouble getting off the LOS in the NFL vs. bigger cornerbacks in press coverage. Is not a huge vertical threat. Is quicker than fast. Won't win a lot of jump balls and isn't a huge threat in the red zone. Doesn't have explosive speed after the catch and isn't a huge home-run threat.
Overall: Davis redshirted as a true freshman in 2000 and has been a fulltime starter since. He is one of the most productive receivers in this class. In his first three seasons at Marshall, Davis had 220 receptions for 2,975 yards with 16 touchdowns from 2001-'03. With Darius Watts (Broncos) gone to the NFL, Davis became the primary target for the first time in his career as a senior in 2004 and he finished with a career-high 86 receptions for 914 yards with seven TD's. Davis' lack of ideal NFL height and speed will likely cause him to slip out of the first day of the 2005 draft but we still think he's an underrated prospect that will eventually develop into a very good No. 3 slot receiver in the NFL or a reliable complementary No. 2. He reminds us a lot of Darrell Jackson (Seahawks) in that Davis doesn't have great measurables or top end speed but has the quickness and know-how to consistently separate.
