8. Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
There are few players in the 2020 NFL Draft class with the athleticism at linebacker that Akeem Davis-Gaither possesses. He’s an absolute lightning bolt when moving sideline-to-sideline and crashing down against the run in addition to having plenty of ability when dropping into coverage. The biggest concern with Davis-Gaither is his size, however, as he’s built much more like a safety than anything else.
Scouting Outlook
"Akeem Davis-Gaither projects best as a sub-package linebacker at the next level. Davis-Gaither is slippery along the LOS to duck blockers and shows very good short area quickness — but his lack of length and anchor are going to make it difficult for him to drop down into the box and effectively challenge and shed blockers. Instead, Davis-Gaither’s pathway to NFL success is predicated in playing him in space and letting him flow freely to the football. Nickel/dime backer with ST upside. – Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network"
What to prove at NFL Combine?
It’s absolutely pivotal that Davis-Gaither tests as an incredible athlete in Indianapolis. From what we saw on tape at Appalachian State, that seems like a quality possibility to happen. But given his deficiency in size, if he doesn’t come out and run a good 40-yard dash, test well in the agility drills and so on, then his value is going to seriously be called into question because he has a linebacker play-style in a safety’s body.