Great question! Asking me to expound on Corey Davis is like asking an English teacher to lecture about Shakespeare, or an art critic to discuss Picasso, or a jazz lover to rhapsodize about Louis Armstrong. Actually, perhaps those aren't great comparisons, because I'm not really a big Picasso fan, but I digress.
Corey Davis is the perfect Patriot, although he does have some flaws. Before I dig into his current strengths and weaknesses, however, let me suggest that his playing style is very similar to Malcolm Mitchell, but he's taller, stronger, faster, and far more physical after the catch.
Strengths:
- Prototypal height and bulk for the position (6'3, #215)
- Extremely productive (most career receiving yards in FBS history)
- Both straight line speed and excellent short area quickness; surprising twitch for his size
- Smooth, coordinated athlete who routinely makes everything look easy
- Lines up at every WR position (slot, X, Z, whatever names you want to call them)
- Runs an extensive route tree; shows the ability to separate short, intermediate, and deep
- Doesn't rely on size/speed to get open; nuanced and precise route runner (will vary release at LoS, use head fakes, gear up/down to disguise intentions, modify the depth of the stem, time breaks effectively, etc)
- Excels at contested catches (Mossed a defender against Ball State this year)
- Fights for extra yards and consistently earns YAC via both jukes and stiff arms
- Blocks aggressively and seriously; considers it an essential part of his game
- Durable and consistent over career
- Head coach (Fleck) was an NFL receivers coach, and says Davis would have earned NFL playing time as a sophomore; Fleck has strongly endorsed Davis at every chance
- Reportedly the hardest worker in the entire locker room
- Squeaky clean, humble prospect who is highly respected in the program and community
Weaknesses:
- Despite ability to win jump balls and make spectacular catches, will sometimes not contest 50/50 balls when coming back to the QB; doesn't always play to his size
- Shows some concentration lapses, and drops easy catches; could have had another 10 catches this season
- Body catches on occasion; doesn't always show natural hands despite the ability to snatch the ball
- Concerns about lower level of competition?
While some may look at the weaknesses and worry about another Dobson situation, I have zero concerns. Davis himself has highlighted these areas as his own weaknesses, and has spent dozens of hours on catching drills to improve his hand-eye coordination. He's such a hard worker and takes football seriously. He will continue to improve as a player. He's already quite polished, but I don't think he's hit his ceiling yet. Easy 1st rounder for me. I think he's far and away the best receiver in this class.
I'll get to Tim Williams later. Out of time for the moment. Sorry!