One of the primary ingredients the Chargers were missing in 2022 was a speed element that defenses had to respect. Justin Herbert is known for his rocket arm, and without a legitimate speed threat last year, he was unable to showcase what made him so popular in the NFL so quickly. In years past, it was Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson that were on the receiving ends of some spectacular deep ball highlights. With Guyton tearing his ACL early in the year, and Tyron Johnson not making the 53-man roster after the 2021 season, there was no threat to keep defenses honest. Enter TCU speedster Derius Davis.
Physical Metrics
At 5’8 and 165 pounds, Derius Davis is one of the smallest players in the NFL. He makes up for size with tremendous 4.36 speed. Against SMU, Davis was recorded reaching 23.47 MPH, the fastest of any player in both the NFL and NCAA last season. In high school, Davis won the 200-meter Louisiana state title consecutively from 2016-2018. His track speed makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
Davis’s arm length (29.25”) and hand size (8.0) gives him a small catch radius and he will likely struggle to make contested catches. His size rating ranks in the lower 3% of all players who have tested at the combine while his speed rating ranks ranks in the higher 96%. He is more of a linear athlete without the agility score to match his straight line speed, making him an extra risky athlete.
Statistics
2018
8 Rec | 104 yards | 2 TD
6 KRTN | 78 yards (13.0 avg)
2 PRTN | 80 yards (40.0 avg) | 1 TD
2019
11 Rec | 151 yards
2 KRTN | 22 yards(11.0 avg)
2020
15 Rec | 209 yards | 1 TD
15 PRTN | 218 yards (14.5 avg) | 2 TD
2021
36 Rec | 518 yards | 1 TD
16 KRTN | 473 yards (29.6 avg) | 1 TD
9 PRTN | 92 yards (10.2 avg)
2022
42 Rec | 531 yards | 5 TD
28 KRTN | 572 yards (20.4 avg)
18 PRTN | 264 yards (14.9 avg) | 2 TD
*Averages 15.0 Punt Return Yards in Career
*Averages 22.0 Kick Teturn Yards in Career
*6 Total Return Touchdowns in Career
Film Analysis
There is more of a draw to Davis purely as a special teams returner than as a wide receiver. His speed is a special, but the small frame and catch radius makes him nothing more than a decoy on go routes to force defenses to backup. He is unlikely to see the field in any other way capacity, at least early in his career. Becoming a forth-round draft pick was a little rich, considering Dane Brugler ranked Davis his 35th wide receiver in the class as a fringe sixth-round pick, but speed is an un-coachable trait, and his six scores as a returner is a major weapon to a team that wants to continue to stay competitive in the third phase of the game.
TCU used Davis as their primary jet sweep weapon and in the screen game. He was asked to catch the ball and kill angles with his speed, which he does effortlessly. He did not show the ability to juke or side step defenders, opting to be the first to hit a seam and turn every catch into a track meet. As a returner, he is patient at letting blocks develop and hits turbo the moment a runway opens. He unfortunately let five punts bounce off his chest and on the ground.
Davis caught 65% of his total targets, which is impressive considering the accuracy issues the horned frogs dealt with under center. He played nearly 90% of his snaps from the slot and caught just 2-of-8 contested targets with three total drops on 66 targets last year. His drops were overall kept to a minimum, but he is a badly catcher who doesn’t aggressively attack the football. Herbert will have to put the ball on the money every time.
Very little of Davis’s production came to the deep part of the field. Kellen Moore will have to design motions and stack Davis to make up for his ability to beat press because Davis will be completely taken out of the play by aggressive corners. Davis did not run an advanced route tree during his career and will need to develop skills that NFL wide receivers need in their arsenal at the next level.
Expectations
As the former Jet Award winner in 2022 and the Big-12 Special Teams Player of the Year, Davis has an opportunity to be the Chargers primary kick and punt returner. The fact that he was made a forth-round draft pick ensures he will be on the 53-man roster as a 6th wide receiver, but it is very unlikely he sees the field with true wide receiver reps. Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken has a knack for finding quality returners, turning Kene Nwangwu into a All Pro as a rookie, and the hope is that Davis can reap the same benefits and coaching to do the same with the Chargers.
Projected Stats
18 KRTN | 432 yards (24.0 avg)
20 PRTN | 231 yards (11.5 avg)
2 Total Return TDs
2 special teams tackles
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