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Over the last couple days, many of you have voiced your displeasure with the Rams meeting with a couple of tight ends. Of course, that’s a boring position and you all want to mix it up.
Well, HERE YOU GO!
The Rams also formally met with Appalachian State linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither while at the combine in Indianapolis. Not every meeting is in a formal setting so there’s something to be said that the Rams used one of their limited formals to meet with the athletic defender from one of the top Group of 5 schools.
App State LB Akeem Davis-Gaither met formally at the combine with the #Titans, #Dolphins, #49ers, #Raiders, #Giants, #Rams, #Bengals and others. He's one of the more athletic linebackers in this draft.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 4, 2020
At 6’1 and 224 pounds, Davis-Gaither could be seen as on the lighter side for a linebacker but in today’s NFL, where versatile defenders are coveted much more than in the past, he could easily find a role as a team’s weakside linebacker whose primary job is to chase down runs from the backside while holding up in coverage against opposing running backs.
Davis-Gaither burst onto the scene during his junior year with the Mountaineers when he was named a Second-Team All-Sun Belt performer following a 105-tackle, 10 tackle-for-loss season where he also broke up seven passes. This past season, he was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 104 total tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, one interception, eight pass breakups, and a blocked kick.
He also would add special teams value from the very beginning. He’s got a high motor coming off the edge as a pass-rusher while also being one of the more slippery defenders in run defense. Blockers have a hard time keeping their hands on him and he’s a menace sifting through traffic en route to stopping the run.
Akeem Davis-Gaither (24) is lean at just 219 lbs., but how does he deal with linemen in the run game and as a pass rusher? His quick hands and athleticism make him a hard target.
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) February 18, 2020
When you think of athletic linebackers, think of Akeem. pic.twitter.com/8K0BjBvDPE
Davis-Gaither was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl back in January where he was able to compete with the top senior talent in the country. He showed up, showed out, and wound-up being voted as the Practice Player of the Week for the linebacker position by his peers.
2020 @seniorbowl South Squad Defensive Practice Players of the Week (voted on by position group they competed against in practice)
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) January 24, 2020
DL: Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
LB: Akeem Davis-Gaither, App. State
DB: Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh
ST: Blake Ferguson, LSU#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/0ZSiBiO9dM
He’s likely going to be a mid-day two or early day three pick due to his lack of combine testing. The only number we got was his 21 reps on the bench press. With pro days now cancelled, scouts will have to rely on the athleticism he showed on tape to make their final decisions.