By Michael Stets
When the Detroit Lions drafted linebacker Jarrad Davis No. 21 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, they were looking to improve one of the defensive position groups in need of the most help. Known for his speed, athleticism and passion for contact, the former Florida Gator has been the man in the middle of the starting defense since stepping foot on the Allen Park practice field this spring, which shows just how much the Lions believe he will make an impact in 2017 and beyond.
“It feels great,” Davis told WJR after the OTAs last week, sharing his feelings on becoming the team’s starting middle linebacker. “It feels awesome. I love being out here playing with these guys, communicating with everybody and just feeding off of each other and playing at a high level.”
Davis, 21, is dealing with the usual challenges that an NFL rookie faces in their first season: learning the playbook, getting adjusted to the facilities and living in a new city. But now that he is the starting middle linebacker, he not only has to learn the defensive playbook, he has to master the play calls so he can make sure he, and the rest of the defense, are lining up properly and executing the correct assignments.
Has his experience as the starter of the Florida defense helped in his transition to the Lions?
“It definitely helps,” he said. “And I mean, like, as far as all the little knick knacks that I used at Florida to help me learn–I’m still using the same thing here. Same type of preparation. Same type of off-the-field stuff to make sure I’m coming out, knowing the scheme, getting familiar with what the offense is trying to do and everything like that to make sure, not only I, but everybody else around me are playing at a high level.”
Being a rookie, of course, comes with making mistakes, which Davis was openly candid about.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes, a lot of mistakes,” he said. “There’s not really one I can specifically call out, there’s been a bunch of them. I just take them with a grain of salt. You make a mistake, you have to get up and make the next play. You can’t let anything shut you down. That’s what I did at Florida, so it’s no different. It’s just at a higher level, that’s all it is.”
Now that he is the starting middle linebacker for the Lions, Davis takes over the position that was previously occupied by Tahir Whitehead in 2016. He was asked about his relationship with Whitehead, who led the Lions with 132 tackles last season.
“I’m still talking to him and learning a lot from him,” said Davis. “He’s got a lot of information that I need to know. He played the spot at a high level last year. If I can come in and do a fraction of what he did, that’s good for me. At the same time, he’s a guy I look to for a lot of information. [There is] a lot of value in him based off of what he did last year.”
Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters last week that Davis has been adjusting well so far.
“He’s got good leadership ability,” Austin said. “He’s got good qualities, you know the things we saw on a tape, so we like where we are right now. Obviously, finishing up here [in OTAs] and then camp’s going to be big for him.”
Davis said he expected to come in and play well and has full confidence in his on-field capabilities. His biggest concern is making sure he pays attention to the finer details and intricacies of the defense.
“It really comes down to all the small things,” he said. “Making sure that as a player I execute every little thing, every little aspect of my job. Making sure if it’s a little step I have to take, I gotta make sure I take that step every time. Don’t leave anything to chance. Making sure everything is taken care of.”
In his senior season at Florida, Davis finished with second team All-SEC honors after posting 60 tackles, six tackles for a loss, two sacks and four pass breakups. Now he’s going up against running back Ameer Abdullah and tight end Eric Ebron in practice, and he’s loving the challenge of it all.
“It’s extremely exciting, extremely exciting,” Davis said. “That’s what makes this fun too. It’s not really about coming out, executing and being the best every day. You gotta win some and you gotta lose some. That’s going to make it better and that’s what makes it interesting every day. I love coming out here every day because it’s not easy any more, it’s actually challenging. Every day you have to get better and better and one day it will get easy, but that day may be later on down the road.”
Playing at Florida was easy?
“Not necessarily easy, but at the same time, the better and better you get at a certain level, the easier it is to master,” he explained. “It’s challenging. There are a lot of aspects of the game that I have to really work on, so I don’t exploit the defense. Those guys keeps me honest. You are not going to just come out here, line up and cover a guy. You gotta be on your ‘A’ game every play, every second. No matter what he does, you gotta be on him.”
And with a chatty teammate like Ebron, he’s going to get an earful if he lets up a play, which Davis said has already occurred. “A little bit,” Davis said, laughing, after being asked about Ebron’s trash talk. “A little bit. He’s a good guy, though.”
The Lions have their mandatory mini camp this week, and then the start of training camp is right around the corner. That means Davis, who said at his introductory press conference how he loves “exerting force on another person,” will soon see some legitimate contact. And that is something he’s really looking forward to.
“Exactly. This is football right here. This is what it’s about at this level. But there’s nothing like putting those pads on, I promise you that.”