Senior linebacker Jarrad Davis, taken by the Detroit Lions in the first round of Thursday's NFL Draft, was the unquestioned leader of the Gators.
Davis Checks All Boxes For Lions
Friday, April 28, 2017 | Football, Chris Harry
Linebacker Jarrad Davis became the 51st Gator to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.
That Jarrad Davis is a tremendous young man.
And a great football player.
Davis, the 6-foot-1, 238-pound linebacker who crushed his UF Pro Day workout last month, became the 51st Gator to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft when Lions selected the tackling machine and unquestioned team leader with the 21st overall selection during Thursday night's opening round. Davis, who got the call from Detroit executive vice president/general manager Bob Quinn at 10:40 p.m., watched the proceedings surrounded by family and friend's at his home in Kingsland, Ga., and was clearly overwrought with emotion when the Lions put him on a teleconference
"Honestly, I've been watching the draft since I was … it's been a long time, man," Davis said. "Just being able to see it every year and just sit at home and watch it and be able to really accept the moment for what it is, and see guys who have worked so hard and have it all pay off that one night, on this one night, it's really special."
The feeling, obviously, was mutual for a franchise looking to fix a middling defense (18th overall, 18th against the run, 19th against the pass) and one of the worst in the league in getting off the field (28th in third-down conversions allowed). Detroit, which went 9-7 and qualified for the postseason as an NFC wild card before losing 26-6 at Seattle in first-round play, had a shot at the so-called No. 1-rated inside linebacker in the draft in Alabama's Reuben Foster. Quinn, though, told reporters late Thursday that Davis was the guy they were locked in on — and not just because of his productivity.
A lot of it had to do with his marks in the character column.
"When you go to the school and you're a scout, you talk to the trainer, you talk to the equipment manager, you talk to the position coaches, the head coach, anybody you can talk to— and they gave the guy glowing remarks in terms of intelligence, work ethic, toughness, leadership, all of those things," Quinn said. "It was one after another. It wasn't just one source or one coach. It was everybody in the entire building. To solidify it, we went there, myself and a few others. We had a long talk with him and spent a number of hours with him and felt really comfortable."
Now it's up to Davis to make opposing running backs uncomfortable. Like he did to ball-carriers in the Southeastern Conference.
At UF, Davis started 23 of his 42 career games and registered 205 tackles, nearly half of them unassisted (102), with 57 tackles for loss.
"Jarrad was just one of those guys that I think, as you look at him, had all the intangibles and ingredients to be just a heckuva player for us," Detroit coach Jim Caldwell told WJR 760-AM. "Big, strong, fast, smart. Just a guy that will give his all and we're looking forward to have an opportunity to coach him."
Watch as GM Bob Quinn, head coach Jim Caldwell and Owner Martha Firestone Ford call first-round pick Jarrad Davis ?? https://t.co/IutPuxv1zG pic.twitter.com/qsvyJPG8va
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 28, 2017
Davis figures to fill a major need for the team alongside starting middle linebacker Tahir Whitehead, who led the Lions in tackles last season with 132. Eight-year veteran linebacker DeAndre Levy, a productive player and tackling machine during his first six seasons, was limited to just six games the last two years and in March was released by the team.
Quinn said he'd have no problem plugging Davis into the "Will" or "Mike" linebacker spots. Davis, of course, said he'd have no problem playing either. Davis was mostly an outside guy his first two seasons, then strictly inside the last two.
"As a player and a teammate, I bring that hard-work mentality," Davis said. "I'm a guy who is going to sacrifice everything for the benefit of the team. I'm not a guy who's going to come in and try to steal the spotlight. I'm a guy who's going to come in and fit the mold and work with the program and make sure that I also push everybody else."
Davis dealt with some injuries during his career, including a wicked ankle sprain sustained in the 2016 Arkansas game that basically shelved him for the balance of his senior season. He proved to be recovered from that when he wowed everyone at his pro-day workout, a performance that included a 38-1/2-inch vertical jump that was the best of prospect in the draft pool.
"Throughout the offseason I was very eager to get back to work to better myself to build my body and show the coaching staffs across the [NFL] that, 'Hey, I'm a guy that hasn't lost a step. I'm still the same guy you see on film,' " Davis said. "It was a very challenging process. … Being able to really just push myself to the end and get to the point where I am now is just a testament to the people who raised me."
And no surprise to those who had the pleasure to watch/know him.
Players Mentioned
LB
/ FootballGator Insider presented by Talon Wealth (November 11, 2025)
Tuesday, November 18
Inside Gators Football presented by UF Health (November 18, 2025)
Tuesday, November 18
Florida Men's Basketball | Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon Post Double-Doubles
Tuesday, November 18
Florida Football | Aaron Chiles Media Availability | Tennessee
Tuesday, November 18
