Isaiah Davis NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for South Dakota State RB

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 218

HAND: 10¼"

ARM: 31⅛"

WINGSPAN: 74⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.57

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: 4.30

VERTICAL: 34½"

BROAD: 9'11"

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POSITIVES

— Patience as a runner helps him more than it hurts him. Controlled, calculated runner who always leaves himself options.

— Smooth footwork behind the line. Remains square and hops between rushing lanes with ease.

— Thick, balanced runner. Equipped to handle a heavy workload and eke out extra yards between the tackles.

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NEGATIVES

— Long speed is nothing of note. Could break away from FCS defenses at times, but will likely struggle to do so in the NFL.

— Below-average explosiveness as a runner. One-cut ability to get up the field or kick into high gear is lacking.

— Poor agility and elusiveness in the open field. Somewhat lumbering runner who lacks the lateral quickness to make defenders miss.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 15 G, 236 ATT, 1,578 YDS (6.7 AVG), 18 TD; 23 REC, 199 YDS (8.7 AVG), 1 TD

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NOTES

— Born Feb. 21, 2002

— Unrated recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Two-year starter

— 2022 and 2023 first-team All-MVC

— Missed about half of the 2021 season with a shoulder injury

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OVERALL

Isaiah Davis is a reliable, well-built back who may lack the juice necessary to be an impact player in the NFL.

Davis does his best work between the tackles. At a sturdy 6'0" and 216 pounds, Davis carried a massive workload at South Dakota State with ease. He showed the balance not only to knock off defenders every now and again, but to keep his legs churning in short-yardage situations.

Davis is also a smart, patient runner. Sometimes that patience bleeds into hesitation, but it helps him more than it hurts. Additionally, Davis has the smooth footwork and ability to easily transition between rushing lanes to make good on his patient play style.

However, Davis does not have a lot of pop to his game. He is sort of a lumbering runner who doesn't bring much side-to-side mobility, and there is not much explosiveness to his movement. It's rare for Davis to make someone miss in space. His long speed is average at best by NFL standards, too.

Davis can be a steady backup on a team that likes duo and gap runs, taking advantage of his vision, footwork and sturdy build. With that being said, Davis' lack of explosive play ability and elusiveness severely limits his NFL ceiling.

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GRADE: 5.4 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

OVERALL RANK: 256

POSITION RANK: RB19

PRO COMPARISON: Craig Reynolds

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

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