Coming into the 2022 NFL Combine, we knew that Jordan Davis was a stellar athlete for his behemoth size. What we couldn’t predict was that the imposing Georgia defensive tackle would emerge from Indianapolis with one of the greatest athletic testing performances of all time.
Jordan Davis annihilates the opposition at the 2022 NFL Combine
If you’ve watched Georgia on their run to their 2022 National Championship success, you know that Davis has emerged as one of the most imposing interior defensive linemen in the nation. While he might not have been the statistical standout like Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson or David Ojabo, he still finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
On Saturday night in Indianapolis, Davis put Hutchinson, Ojabo, and Co. in the shadow of his incredible frame. The 6’6″, 340-pound defensive tackle shocked the NFL world with a frankly insane 4.78 40-yard dash. Although teammate Devonte Wyatt emerged as the fastest defensive tackle in the NFL Combine’s marquee drill, it was Davis who stole the show.
To put Davis’ achievement in perspective, it was the fastest 40-yard dash time for any player over 310 pounds since 2006. Despite weighing more than Jason Peters and measuring taller than Rob Gronkowski, Davis’ time was faster than renowned mobile quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Furthermore, his 10-yard split of 1.68 was quicker than Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
While NFL Network showed the defensive line prospects going through on-field drills, Davis went and broke the broad jump record for a player over 300 pounds. At 340 pounds, he jumped 10’3″. At this point, we’re running out of superlatives to describe Davis’ incredible athletic testing performance.
RAS demonstrates the rarity of Davis’ 2022 NFL Combine performance
Relative athletic score (RAS) is a metric that showcases how athletic a player is compared to their positional peers. Well, Davis literally has no peers. According to the creator of RAS, Kent Lee Platte, the Georgia defensive tackle put in the most athletic performance of any defensive tackle in the history of the metric.
His height and weight are both classed as “elite” by RAS. There’s no doubting that he’s an imposing nose tackle. The size and weight make him an unmovable object who often requires double and triple-team blocks. His command of such attention has allowed his teammates to prosper from a statistical standpoint.
The 40-yard dash time of 4.78 gives him a RAS of 9.9. While his 20-yard split of 2.8 isn’t official, it earns a RAS of 9.63. Finally, from the speed perspective, Davis’ 10-yard split of 1.68 garners a 9.54 RAS. There’s just one word to summarize his speed: Elite.
With elite size and speed, Davis confirmed his domination of the 2022 NFL Combine with elite grades from the drills that help determine explosion. His 32″ vertical jump earned an 8.81 RAS. Sensationally, his record-breaking 10’3″ broad jump garnered a 9.98 RAS. Davis came into the Combine as one of the best defensive tackle prospects in the class. He leaves as one of the most athletic prospects of all time, with the potential for an early first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.