“Savvy route runner” Jawill Davis competing for wide receiver spot with Giants

Let’s take a look at one of the lesser-known wide receivers on the New York Giants 90-man roster, undrafted free agent Jawill Davis Bethune-Cookman, as we continue profiling the players the team will bring to training camp.

The basics

Age: 23
Experience: 0
Height: 6-feet
Weight: 193

2017 season in review

Davis caught 36 passes for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 games. Davis’s best season at Bethune-Cookman was 2015, when he caught 39 passes for 788 yards (20.2 yards per catch) with 6 touchdowns.

2018 outlook

Davis is part of the plethora of receivers fighting for roster spots behind Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Cody Latimer.

The NFL Draft Report says:

Davis is a savvy route runner who generates good explosion off the line, along with good hand usage to get into his route and get a clean release and avoid the jam. He has the ball skills to play outside his frame and make proper adjustments working down field. His hip swerve and head fakes, along with his natural hands, lets him make a quick move to elude the defender while cradling the ball properly to prevent the forced fumble.

Davis shows good athletic ability for his position, demonstrating the change of direction, balance and body control to not take any false steps getting into his routes. He has sudden quickness and impressive deep speed, building his acceleration nicely, as he shows the body torque to get in and out of his breaks cleanly. He is a quick, short strider with good playing speed for his size, but is better utilized in the short-to-intermediate areas, as he has very good balance running his routes and does a good job of adjusting to the ball in flight.

Davis also has a solid understanding for route building/progression. He comes off the line hard and tries to look fast, using his hands well to attack the center of a defensive back to get a strong push- off for a clean release. He has the strength to defeat the jam and knows how to use his size to lean into and push off the defender when trying to create room to operate.

Davis displays the moves to elude and it is very difficult to reroute him due to his ability to fend off defenders and protect his body. His speed makes him consistently escape past the press, but if stalled, he lacks the strength to work his way through. He shows good body control through his movements and is surprisingly light on his feet for a player of his size.

Unless he goes all Victor Cruz during the preseason, Davis figures to be in the mix for a practice squad spot.