Former Nebraska defensive lineman Carlos Davis had a simple, albeit sensible, plan for Nebraska's Pro Day.
"I really just wanted coaches to see me do drills," he told reporters Thursday. "That's really the main thing."Â
Two weeks ago at the NFL Combine, Davis and twin brother Khalil Davis opened eyes with impressive 40-yard dash times. The 6-foot-1, 308-pound Khalil Davis ran the 40 in 4.75 seconds in Indianapolis, the sixth-best time recorded by a defensive lineman. According to ESPN, Davis' time was the fastest at the combine by a D-lineman weighing more than 300 pounds since at least 2006.
Meanwhile, Carlos Davis ran a :04.82, placing him in a tie for ninth among defensive linemen. The 6-2, 313-pound Carlos Davis also recorded 27 reps in the bench at the combine, tying for 10th. In other words, much of his heavy lifting was finished entering Nebraska's Pro day, held in front of 28 scouts from 22 NFL teams.Â
People are also reading…
"Although we ran good (at the combine), it taxed me," Carlos Davis said. "I kind of strained myself a little trying to run that fast, so I took it easy at the combine and didn't do a few of the drills."Â
Neither Carlos Davis nor his brother ran the 40 Thursday. It simply wasn't necessary.
"We were trying to get healthy and come out here and do drills," Carlos Davis said.Â
Several former Nebraska players did run the 40 on the program's Pro Day. Mike Williams, a 5-10, 180-pound receiver, recorded the fastest time of the day (according to a school official), covering the distance in :04.53. Receiver Kanawai Noa, who missed this past season's final two games, ran a :04.59.
Among the others participating were inside linebacker Mohamed Barry (:04.90), outside linebacker Alex Davis (:04.84), safety Eric Lee (:04.72), defensive lineman DaiShon Neal (:05.30) and defensive back Jeramiah Stovall (:04.65).Â
In addition, former Nebraska cornerback Lamar Jackson said he ran a :04.51 (unofficial), an improvement on the :04.58 that he posted at the combine. His combine time placed him well outside the top 15 at his position.Â
"I expected to run a little faster there, but I was kind of happy with what I did," said Jackson, regarded as good bet to be selected in this year's NFL Draft, which is set for April 23-25 in Las Vegas, pending possible change as a result of the coronavirus. The first round is scheduled to be held the first day, rounds two and three on the second day and rounds four through seven on the final day.
"What I've come to realize about the whole combine and going into the draft, it's what you have going for you," said the 6-2, 208-pound Jackson. "If you're a little guy — you know 185 (pounds) and 5-11 — of course you have to go run a 4.3.Â
"I'm 6-2½, 208. So at the end of the day, they basically just wanted to see me run fast enough. I mean, 4.58 would've done it. Of course, it ain't blazing. But they can work with that."
It seems both Davis brothers have raised their stock this offseason in the eyes of NFL teams, especially Khalil Davis. At this point, he seems a safe bet to get drafted. In 2019, he led Nebraska (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) with eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss while recording 45 tackles total. Carlos Davis recorded four sacks and five tackles for loss for a Husker defense that was 66th nationally in points allowed (27.8 per game) and 64th in yards allowed (388.8).
"From Day One, my agent had a plan for us — it was step by step," said Khalil Davis, who along with his brother competed in the East-West Shrine Bowl in January. "It was, 'Do good here, do good here, and then we're going to take care of the rest for you.'"Â