The Buffalo Bills are in the middle of a retooling period with their franchise as they are trying to add more youth to the roster. A perfect place to do that is in the draft and Buffalo took full advantage of that by adding some depth to the backfield with their selection of Kentucky running back Ray Davis with the 128th overall pick (fourth round) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Coming into this draft, the Bills had a strong backfield with starter James Cook along with other players in the rotation like Ty Johnson, Darrynton Evans, and fullback Reggie Gilliam. Davis, standing at 5-foot-8 and 211 pounds, could be someone that can provide some rest for Cook while also being a back that catches passes out of the backfield and is passable in pass protection.
At the moment, it’s too early to tell what Davis’ role will be heading into the 2024 season, but adding depth at a position like running back is key for teams like Buffalo that needs consistent production from multiple players within the same backfield.
With that, here are five things to know about Davis:
Measurements And Combine Numbers
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Height: 5’8″
Weight: 211
Hand: 8⅞”
Arm: 30¼”
Wingspan: 72¼”
40-Yard Dash Time: 4.52
Vertical Jump: 35″
Broad Jump: 9’11”
College Football History is all over
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Davis played five seasons worth of college football as he played his first two seasons at Temple University before playing the following two seasons at Vanderbilt University. He played his fifth and final college season at the University of Kentucky and was first-team All-SEC.
Beat his future team
Nov 26, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Tyre West (42) stops Vanderbilt Commodores running back Ray Davis (2) during the fourth quarter at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV – USA TODAY Sports
Before being welcomed to Kentucky, he did damage to them. Kentucky’s Nov. 12, 2022, loss to Vanderbilt, which snapped a 26-game SEC losing streak for the Commodores, was sparked by consistent running game… led by Davis. He had 129 yards and a touchdown.
Strengths
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- Strong, able to remain balanced while running
- Vision
- Catching passes/pass protection
Weaknesses
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- Lacks explosion/elusiveness
- Not much home-run ability
- Needs to improve in pass protection
Davis Has Beaten The Odds
Won't give up
In his one season with Kentucky, Davis scored at least one wild touchdown. A never give up attitude here:
