Denver Broncos build around Drew Lock in 7-round 2020 mock draft

The Denver Broncos linebacker situation in 2019 was quite interesting. You had sophomore linebacker Josey Jewell get a good amount of snaps along with Todd Davis as well. Then Alexander Johnson was also getting a ton of run and playing very well too.

The one thing that most of these guys have in common, except for Johnson, though is that they can’t cover. Davis is below average in coverage and Jewell is just flat out bad in that regard, which is why Akeem Davis-Gaither would be an excellent pickup for the Broncos.

Davis-Gaither is fairly slight for a linebacker at about 225 pounds and he also does not excel at things most linebackers do, such as stopping the run. His lack of size can cause him issues shooting the gap against the run.

But the good thing for Davis-Gaither is he oftentimes didn’t play in the box for Appalachian State, mainly due to his coverage ability. He’s very athletic and quick for a linebacker with great reaction time and good instincts. Occasionally, Davis-Gaither would end up on receivers in the slot because of how talented he is in coverage.

Some general managers and scouts may pass on Davis-Gaither because he isn’t your traditional linebacker who will stuff the run and fly into gaps, but they could be making a big mistake. In the modern NFL, linebackers are asked to drop into coverage quite often. Many, even on the Broncos, struggle in that regard, which is why Davis-Gaither would give Denver a boost in that regard.

Other Players Available: Damien Lewis, Jack Driscoll, Troy Pride Jr.