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Rex Ryan continues to rave about a certain player? Is he right, or is he overdoing it? Let’s take a closer look . . .
“When we drafted [DeMario Davis], I mentioned that I thought it was unusual to get a rookie to come in with such charisma and whatever you want to call it, leadership,” Ryan said.
“I thought when we drafted him, I guess you either have it or you don’t, and he’s certainly a young man that has it.
“So, what have I seen? I’ve seen him come in (and) work extremely hard. It’s challenging. We put him in a position (where) he has to replace an outstanding player in Bart Scott, but he’s taken to it. We ask that WILL linebacker to do a lot of things and I’ve been really proud of him.
“He’s also playing the Dime in the sub-package, so it’s been very impressive.”
I think Rex is getting a little ahead of himself.
First of all, while Davis does have impressive leadership skills, that will only matter if he makes more of an impact on the field.
Players don’t want to hear it from a guy unless he’s playing well.
I’m not saying Davis played poorly last year. He did some nice things on special teams, but didn’t enough at linebacker for any of us to form a strong opinion.
Hey, Davis could turn into a terrific NFL starting linebacker, but it’s no slam dunk.
One thing about Scott – he was/is a very instinctive player. Scott has a very good feel for the game and does a nice job of working through the trash to make tackles.
The jury is still out on Davis’ instincts.
Coming out of Arkansas State, there where were major questions about his instincts. In college, at times he seemed slow to diagnose what was in front on him.
He was probably more of a fifth round prospect, but when he ran around 4.5 at 239 pounds, before the draft, he helped his stock. The Jets picked him in the third round last year.
Another concern about him is that, while he runs fast on a straight line, his hips are a little stiff, so it impacts his ability to change direction smoothly in coverage.
Look, this pick could turn out to be a good one, but I think Rex, once again, is anointing a player, who still has a ton to prove.
In a fair competition, it’s entirely possible, Josh Mauga, Nick Bellore or JoJo Dixon could beat him out for the starting spot next to David Harris.
But since Rex is anointing again, you wonder if the coach would allow that to happen.
There is no question Davis works very hard, and has strong leadership traits.
However, let’s keep a close on his instincts this summer – how does he diagnosis plays.
A player can work his tail off, but it’s hard to teach instincts.
So personally, I think Rex is a little over the top with the high praise.
Remember, there is little contact and no tackling in the spring.
Let’s see what Davis does when they put the pads on in practice, and in the preseason games.
July 5, 2013
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