As we look toward the 2023 regular season, we count down the most important players for the Washington Commanders ahead of training camp. On Saturday, No. 12 was center Nick Gates.
We continue our countdown today with No. 11, linebacker Jamin Davis.
The Commanders haven’t made a big commitment to the linebacker position since Ron Rivera took over as head coach in 2020. That’s interesting, considering Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio were both successful longtime NFL linebackers.
They did make one significant addition, though, selecting Jamin Davis in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Washington envisioned Davis being its Mike linebacker of the future. However, Davis struggled early, looking more comfortable on the outside.
In 2022, Davis started on the outside with Cole Holcomb inside. He appeared in 16 games, starting 15, recording 104 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. Davis’ numbers improved, and so did his play. While he didn’t make what many consider game-changing plays, Davis was often in the right place, tackled well and his anticipation looked much better than in 2021.
Before the draft, Davis was praised for his speed and athleticism. But sometimes, as a rookie, he didn’t always look fast because he wasn’t trusting his eyes. Del Rio seemed to use the press to motivate Davis at times. And it appeared to work.
The following shows Davis quickly recognizing the play and running toward the line of scrimmage to make the stop for a short gain on third down.
3rd down, #Commanders show double A gap blitz but sink out into zone coverage. Mariota takes the checkdown and Jamin Davis charges up to make the tackle and get the stop pic.twitter.com/zuewQLxdWp
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) November 27, 2022
The next play shows a little bit of everything with Davis.
Takes a lot of trust to pass him off and stay with the Rb but these are the plays that The #Commanders envisioned when they drafted Jamin Davis pic.twitter.com/lAuuZb6tVl
— Big Doug (@DougMcCrayNFL) October 26, 2022
The expectation is Cody Barton will start alongside Davis. However, Barton needs to hold off Khaleke Hudson, and that’s easier said than done. If Davis can take the step in his development, Washington’s defense could be on the verge of being elite. The combo of Davis and Hudson could give the Commanders one of the more athletic linebacking duos in the NFL.
