Posted by Michael David Smith on February 25, 2013, 2:37 PM EST
If it’s possible for a player coming off an unimpressive final season of college football to change perceptions of himself with a few good days at the Scouting Combine, then former Arkansas running back Knile Davis has done it.
Davis, who ran for just 377 yards in a disappointing 2012 season, had an outstanding couple of days at the Scouting Combine. Davis was both the second-fastest running back, with a 40-yard dash officially timed at 4.37 seconds, and the second-strongest running back, with 31 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
At 227 pounds, Davis is much bigger than most running backs who can break 4.45 seconds in the 40. In fact, the only other running back who was faster than 4.45 seconds this year was Auburn’s Onterio McCalebb, who weighed in at just 168 pounds. FootballOutsiders.com has had some success predicting a running back’s future success using a formula incorporating his weight and 40 time to determine something called the Speed Score, and Davis had by far the best Speed Score of any running back this year. (McCalebb is so light that he actually comes in below average on the formula, despite his impressive 40 time.)
Davis said he believes he’s the same kind of player as two of the best running backs in the league.
“I think the thing that sets me apart is the size, speed, agility combination,” Davis said. “I think that is a rare combination that you just don’t find every year. The guy I really compare myself would be more of an Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson. Arian Foster with the zone running. I’m really good at running the zone and just the size and speed of Adrian Peterson.”
That comparison may be a bit over the top. But Davis definitely has turned some heads in the last few days.
If it’s possible for a player coming off an unimpressive final season of college football to change perceptions of himself with a few good days at the Scouting Combine, then former Arkansas running back Knile Davis has done it.
Davis, who ran for just 377 yards in a disappointing 2012 season, had an outstanding couple of days at the Scouting Combine. Davis was both the second-fastest running back, with a 40-yard dash officially timed at 4.37 seconds, and the second-strongest running back, with 31 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
At 227 pounds, Davis is much bigger than most running backs who can break 4.45 seconds in the 40. In fact, the only other running back who was faster than 4.45 seconds this year was Auburn’s Onterio McCalebb, who weighed in at just 168 pounds. FootballOutsiders.com has had some success predicting a running back’s future success using a formula incorporating his weight and 40 time to determine something called the Speed Score, and Davis had by far the best Speed Score of any running back this year. (McCalebb is so light that he actually comes in below average on the formula, despite his impressive 40 time.)
Davis said he believes he’s the same kind of player as two of the best running backs in the league.
“I think the thing that sets me apart is the size, speed, agility combination,” Davis said. “I think that is a rare combination that you just don’t find every year. The guy I really compare myself would be more of an Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson. Arian Foster with the zone running. I’m really good at running the zone and just the size and speed of Adrian Peterson.”
That comparison may be a bit over the top. But Davis definitely has turned some heads in the last few days.