Ebony Bird
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Baltimore Ravens scouting reports: Akeem Davis-Gaither a small-school stud

By Richard Bradshaw

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 21: Akeem Davis-Gaither #24 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers reacts to a missed field goal by Noah Ruggles #97 of the North Carolina Tar Heels as time expires in their game at Kenan Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Mountaineers won 34-31. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 21: Akeem Davis-Gaither #24 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers reacts to a missed field goal by Noah Ruggles #97 of the North Carolina Tar Heels as time expires in their game at Kenan Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Mountaineers won 34-31. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Akeem Davis-Gaither led a stellar Appalachian State defense in 2019. He’s a hot name in the draft circuit and may be a target for the Baltimore Ravens.

Breakdown:

The last team college football fans would expect to go 12-1 would be the Appalachian State Mountaineers, but they did just that in 2019. The Mountaineers’ defense was suffocating throughout the year and were dominant thanks to the player of Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Akeem Davis-Gaither.

AGM was a monster in 2019, but his last two years have made him an intriguing name in the 2020 NFL Draft. His size will limit him to specific roles on defense, but he could be a terrific sub-package linebacker with a feisty playstyle.

Notable stats for Akeem Davis-Gaither (full stats here) 2016-2019:

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  • 197 tackles from 2018-2019
  • 15 pass deflections from 2018-2019
  • Five sacks, 14.5 TFLs in 2019

Strengths:

  • Great production over the last two years
  • Great short-area quickness and can close the gap to the football incredibly fast
  • Lots of experience rushing the passer off the edge with production to match
  • Slipper player that can get under blocks and make plays in the backfield
  • Sure tackle who rarely misses
  • Can be a contributor on special teams

Weaknesses:

  • Tweener linebacker size at 6’1″ 224-lbs.; may be limited to sub-packages
  • Can seek contact to a fault at times
  • Occasionally loses the football when over-pursuing; straight-line runner
  • Not overly fluid in pass coverage

Fit with the Ravens:

Akeem Davis-Gaither looks very similar to a linebacker the Baltimore Ravens just lost in Patrick Onwuasor. AGM spent a lot of time at Appalachian State off the edge, so he’s well versed when it comes to pass rushing. Davis-Gaither could be an extremely effective blitzer up the middle, which Baltimore frequently does.

An area where Davis-Gaither could show improvement is his ability in pass coverage. While he was certainly far from bad, he could stand to be a more fluid mover in space. AGM does have a handful of deflections, but many came when rushing the quarterback.

Next. The improvements Lamar Jackson can make in 2020. dark

For the Baltimore Ravens, Akeem Davis-Gaither would be their replacement for “Peanut” Onwuasor and it seems reasonable that he could replicate his production in this defense. AGM is a late day two, early day three target who can play sub-packages on defense and give you some special teams ability, as well.

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