JARRAD DAVIS
Position: Linebacker
Ht/Wt: 6-1, 245
College: Florida
Experience: 3rd season
View photos of linebacker Jarrad Davis from Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) heads out to practice on Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) heads out to practice on Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) and Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) and Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebackers coach Al Golden and Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) and the defense during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) and Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) visits with guests from TAPS following Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) and Detroit Lions defensive end Eric Lee (55) run the hill during Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) visits with guests from TAPS following Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) visits with guests from TAPS following Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) visits with guests from TAPS following Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) smiles following Day 6 of Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket Mortgage on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Allen Park, Mich.
Outlook: Davis enters his third season in Detroit as one of the core leaders on defense and its signal caller as MIKE linebacker.
Davis improved last season in nearly every category from his rookie year, totaling 100 tackles (73 solo), 6.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits and five passes defended. He was one of two players to produce 100-plus tackles and 6.0-plus sacks in the NFL in 2018, and is the only player in Lions history to do so.
Davis worked really hard to improve his pass-rushing skills last season. That's becoming a nice part of his overall game. He continued to develop that part of his game this offseason working with pass-rushing guru Pete Jenkins.
He continues to improve his cover skills and is trending toward becoming a complete linebacker.
With the addition of Jahlani Tavai via the draft, Davis could have more opportunities to move around the defense, rush the passer and be a matchup chess piece in Matt Patricia and Paul Pasqualoni's defense.
Practice report: Watching Davis take part in practice is fun because he goes so hard all the time. His motor never stops.
Taking part in pass-rush drills against the running backs, Davis started off the drill with a nice move to get around Kerryon Johnson, though Johnson did a nice job staying in front of Davis on the second rep between the two. Davis also beat Mark Thompson with a nice swim move.
Davis and Thompson met up again later in practice as the team worked a 1-yard goal line drill where the defender and a runner met at the goal line with the ball carrier trying to score and the defender trying to keep them out of the end zone. Davis won that rep too.
In pass defense drills against the running backs, Johnson got the better of Davis on a wheel route for a big gain. Davis had a great rep in the drill against Zach Zenner, however. Zenner tried to fake the out route and come back inside. Davis was step for step with him and forced the incompletion.
Davis was the only linebacker to take part in pass rushing drills with the defensive linemen against the o-line. We could see him rush the passer even more than he did last year.
The best play Davis made in practice, however, was forcing an incompletion on a Matthew Stafford pass intended for tight end T.J. Hockenson in the back of the end zone. It was a one-play 4th and goal drill from the 1-yard line. Davis made the play and forced the entire offense to have to do push-ups.
Quotable: "It's fun to go out and have an offense guess if I'm coming, or am I dropping? What am I going to do?" Davis said before training camp.
"It's really exciting to give offenses more of a headache. There are so many of us they have to block. They can't block every one of us. Somebody's going to win a one-on-one and make a big play. That's what we're here to do."
