Former Illinois Fighting Illini left tackle J.C. Davis is likely to hear his name called at some point on Saturday in the NFL Draft. Most prospect big boards have him in the range of 110s-170s overall. That is basically the mid fourth to early sixth round. Perhaps the Oakland native and New Mexico transfer could surprise, and get selected on Friday night, in the third round, like former teammate Pat Bryant did last year. The former Illini wide receiver has proven to be a great pickup for the Denver Broncos.
Illini head coach Bret Bielema met the media today, to wrap up spring football practice and we asked him what player comps he might see in J.C. Davis.
“Vederian Lowe jumps out to me, but I think he’s probably a little bit above draft value where VW was,” Bielema responded. “And I think Vlo was a fifth rounder, if I’m not mistaken, and played every year in the league to this point.
“Just signed a nice contract.”
Vederian Lowe, who has played 46 games in the NFL, making 25 starts, just left the AFC Champion New England Patriots. Lowe was selected in the sixth round, with the 184th overall pick, by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. He just signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
Could J.C. Davis become the next Vederian Lowe?
Well, let’s see which team selects him this weekend, and what the system fit is.
“I’ve had a couple of guys that played that tackle position that moved into guard and did some good things, but he’s just very unique,” Bielema continued on Davis, adding that he:
“has great arm length, hand size, athleticism, runs extremely well, and like I said, I think the thing that the NFL teams love is when they’re getting a player that’s graduated, has maturity to have that behind him, but has a really high upside.”
Bielema then praised Davis’ versatility, and then predicted he’ll go to team where he’ll play both guard and tackle.
“I think his best football’s in front of him,” Bielema continued.
“I also think he’s probably a guy that’s going to be drafted at a position he didn’t play, I think he’ll be drafted as an interior lineman. He’s unique in I think he can probably play both tackle and guard.
“If you can get a guard that you feel has really good draft value, but you know, he could cover up and play tackle in a pinch, that’s a really really good thing, and I think that’s what he’ll fall into.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.