Appalachian State's Akeem Davis-Gaither could be a sneaky-good Day Two pick for the Kansas City Chiefs
Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, Appalachian State
By the numbers:
6’1”, 224 pounds. 31-⅛” arms. No NFL Combine test numbers (stress fracture in foot).
101 tackles (14.5 for loss), five sacks, eight passes defended and one interception in 2019.
Positives:
Akeem Davis-Gaither’s stellar play was a big reason why the Appalachian State Mountaineers finished with a 13-1 record in 2019. The sideline-to-sideline linebacker was everywhere on the field. A true jack-of-all-trades, Davis-Gaither rushed the passer, covered tight ends and running backs, and even lined up across from wide receivers in the slot at times.
As an undersized player for his position, Davis-Gaither relies on his impressive athleticism to make up for a lack of length and strength. He can burst around the edge as a pass rusher and has the speed and agility necessary to hold his own in coverage at the next level. He’s also a terrific special teams prospect and could make a huge impact in that aspect as early as his rookie season.
Negatives:
Davis-Gaither’s playing weight in college, 215 pounds, was a red flag. Now, even weighing in at 224 pounds, it still is. In order to become a three-down linebacker in the NFL, he needs to add more strength to his frame. Despite having a chip on his shoulder and being an instinctual player, that will only take him so far. His lack of size shows up in all facets of his game.
Davis-Gaither could be described as a linebacker in a safety’s body. He may get slapped with the “tweener” and “hybrid” labels as he figures out just who he is moving forward. He’s susceptible to the occasional overrun on plays and doesn’t always pack the biggest punch when tackling. A lot of that comes with the territory of being small for his position. Offensive linemen shouldn’t have much of a problem getting him out of their way, unless he improves his technique when attacking gaps.
How Davis-Gaither fits with the Chiefs:
Steve Spagnuolo values versatility in his players. Expect Davis-Gaither to be used in obvious passing downs initially, as his athleticism and football IQ are both excellent. He can work in a variety of different roles once he gets acclimated to the professional game. Until then, special teams coach Dave Toub would be thrilled to have another hard-nosed, athletic player to disrupt field goals, punts and kick returns.
Final Thoughts:
In the first few rounds of the draft, the Kansas City Chiefs are likely looking for players that are ready to contribute immediately. Davis-Gaither is limited, but works hard and could become an excellent special teams presence and a solid cover linebacker with the ability to rush the passer in spurts. If utilized in the right ways, he can help an NFL team quite a bit. Expect him to be a day two draft selection.
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