Mike Davis joins Oakland Raiders in undrafted free agency
Mike Davis (1) makes a catch against Oklahoma State Cowboys cornerback Tyler Patmon (26) during the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma State beat Texas 38-13. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Longhorns wide receiver prospect Mike Davis was expected to hear his name called on the third day of the draft, but he completely fell out of the picture before being snapped up yesterday by the Oakland Raiders in undrafted free agency, per the National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson.
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Davis fits the Raiders M.O. with late-round and undrafted wide receiver prospects, because he is a speedy vertical threat with subpar hands. There are some concerns that Davis doesn’t work as hard as he should, but my biggest issues are with consistency and drops, though those will have to be corrected with hard work in the NFL.
Possessing sub-4.5 wheels, Davis has the upside to become a No. 3 receiver who can come in and make plays downfield, but it’s more likely that he ends up being a situational deep threat as a WR4 or 5. That’s still great value in undrafted free agency, and it will be interesting to see how he develops on the Raiders depth chart. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Davis would be a name to watch yesterday, but the Texas product still managed to slip into UDFA. He’s one of the most talented deep threats in the league and can make things happen after the catch, so this is a great upside signing on a developmental WR. As Rapoport noted yesterday, Davis shredded top ten pick Justin Gilbert last season, so that has to count for something.