NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Fred Davis, TE
by Jody Jamieson
26/2/2008
 
Fred Davis does not strike you as the type of guy who is going to put up numbers like Tony Gonzalez in the receiving game. But don't let that detract from the fact that he will go in the first round of the Draft and likely be an effective starter from the get-go come September. He has done a bit of everything in his career thus far. A running back at Rogers High School, USC saw potential to fit him into their programme as a wide receiver. He didn't do himself enough justice as a wide-out, but the Trojans saw enough in his game to give him a try at tight-end. The rest as they say is history.
 
Due to a lot of shifting around in his early days, it's not a huge surprise that Davis didn't quite receive the attention a future first rounder would in his first two seasons at the collegiate level. 2006 was when he started to show what he was all about with a respectable 352 receiving yards and three scores. This past season was when he really broke out as a bona-fide receiving tight-end, with 62 catches for 881 yards (14.2 average) and 8 touchdowns.
 
What we like about Davis
 
The transition to the Pro level shouldn't be a rocky one for Davis. USC play one of the more Pro-style offenses in college football, which is always a good thing for guys looking to make a quick adjustment. A natural athlete standing a 6'4", Davis was a mismatch for most NCAA linebackers in the passing game. He can read a defense very quickly, which is always a great tool for getting open over the middle. Will give linebackers and safeties a torrid time in man coverage, and ff he can be a little quicker off the line, he could really expose defenses happy to sit in Cover 2 over the middle.
 
Question marks about Davis
 
Davis is not going to kill you with his speed. He could do to work on his route running to gain even more separation. This year, most of the tight ends projected to go early are not particularly good blockers in the run game. Davis isn't such a bad at blocker on the line, but can sometimes really struggle to make a good block when he gets to the second level. Hopefully whoever selects him works on this in training camp.
 
Highlight of his College Career
 
Had his best game as a Trojan against Washington State in September, hauling in 9 receptions for 124 yards and 2 scores in a 47-14 destruction of the Cougars. Was also a back up tight end and receiver in 2004 as USC went onto claim the National Championship.
 
Other Snippets

• At this moment in time, NFL Network's Mike Mayock has Davis as the number 2 TE behind Notre Dame's John Carlson. That may change between now and April.

• Davis became the first USC tight-end since John Obradovich in 1974 to be named All-American First-Team Tight End. He also won the Mackey Award as to top TE in the country for 2007.

• He holds school records for tight ends in career receptions (117), career yards (1,408), career touchdowns (13) and catches in a season (62).

• In 2003 he scored 12 touchdowns for Rogers High while playing wide receiver, running back, strong safety and even quarterback.

• If he is drafted in the first by either Seattle or Tennessee, expect him to start in Week 1.