The Baltimore Ravens are going to make some changes to their defensive line in the offseason, that much is a near certainty. But if they’re looking to make a splash, they could target Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Ravens will likely be saying goodbye to a few familiar faces this offseason. Longtime nose tackle Brandon Williams is set to hit free agency and, coming off the worst year of his career, it seems unlikely that he returns.
Backup nose tackle Justin Ellis is also set to be a free agent while the futures of Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe are anything but solidified.
There’s a lot of uncertainty on the defensive line right now and a glaring need to get younger. Davis would provide a solution to both of those issues.
Jordan Davis should be the top priority for the Ravens in the 2022 NFL Draft
At a hulking 6-foot-6, 340 pounds, Davis is a mammoth of a human being who’s probably the best nose tackle prospect the NFL has seen since Vita Vea. And he has every chance to be just as good as Vea in the pros.
For starters, there is no better run defender in this class than Davis. The Draft Network’s Drae Harris called him “the best run defender in the country” and the tape absolutely supports that argument.
His combination of raw power, size, and surprising athleticism make him a true freak of nature and someone who is nearly impossible to block one-on-one.
Few players were double-teamed as frequently as Davis in college with the senior defensive tackle often commanding the attention of two and even three offensive linemen. Oftentimes, it still wouldn’t matter.
Davis still finished with 32 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks in 14 games this season, but his impact extends far beyond the stat sheet. He would regularly eat up blocks to allow his teammates to make plays.
There’s a reason that Georgia team had so many highly-touted players in the front seven (Travon Walker, Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall, Quay Walker, Nolan Smith, etc.). Davis’ stellar play allowed each of them to live up to their potential.
That’s the type of impact Davis could have with the Ravens. While still improving as a pass rusher, Davis’ ability to clog up running lanes would allow him to seamlessly take over for Brandon Williams at nose tackle and perhaps be the team’s most disruptive interior defensive lineman since Haloti Ngata.
He has that type of potential.
Even with other needs along the offensive line and at cornerback, the Ravens’ top priority in the 2022 NFL Draft should be making sure that Jordan Davis ends up in purple and block.
The only question is, will he make it to pick 14?