Anthony Davis Scouting Report

Heading into the 2009 season Anthony Davis was considered one of the top offensive linemen in the nation; that is nothing new for him. He was one of the top prep linemen in the nation as well, and was a First Team Freshman All-American at Rutgers in 2007. By his sophomore season in 2008 he was a second-team all-conference player and he started a majority of the games at left tackle. The 2009 season has gone pretty well for Rutgers and the offensive line is the best unit on this team; Davis is the man who makes the line so special. Davis is just a junior, but he could be a first round draft pick if he tests out well and continues to have a solid season. At 6-6 and 325 pounds, Davis already has the size to be a great tackle in the NFL and the bigger question is whether or not that happens this draft or next draft. Davis will likely at least test the NFL Draft waters after the 2009 collegiate campaign. If he grades out as a likely first or second rounder, he is ready to go to the NFL. However, Davis may be happy to come back to Rutgers; then he would almost certainly be a first round selection in the 2011 draft and one of the best linemen in that class. 12/24 Update: Davis wasted little time announcing that he is going to the NFL a year early. Just a few days after helping Rutgers annihilate UCF 45-24 in the St. Petersburg Bowl, Davis stated that he wants to play in the NFL. With his success late in the year, he will almost certainly be a first round selection this year so it should prove to be a wise decision. 3/29 Update: Davis is free falling down draft boards right now. He is still one of the better offensive tackles in this class, but he is developing a reputation as a player who lacks the desire to compete at the next level. A flu that caused him to miss his pro day is hardly a reason to believe he lacks desire, but that is the way these things can work. Not showing up is never a good thing and Davis does have a small history of such incidents during his time at Rutgers. In the end, Davis will not fall out of the first round, but he is falling out of the top ten.