Jamin Davis (SEC Photo)
It’s never too early to look ahead to the NFL Draft now that Kentucky players are actually being picked. The Wildcats have had seven players in the last two drafts combined after not having a single player drafted in 2017 or 2018.
Recently ESPN draft guru hinted that cornerback Kelvin Joseph would be upgraded to a first-round pick — 25th overall — in his next mock draft coming out next week. He called him a “fast riser” in the draft who has “size, length, great recovery speed” at 6-0, 195 pounds with 4.35 speed in the 40-yard dash.
Matt Miller of The Draft Scout has four Cats in his recent mock draft, including Joseph with the 45th pick overall. That’s an early second-round choice. The former LSU signee had 25 tackles and ranked eighth nationally in interceptions with four in nine games before opting out of UK’s final two games to prepare for the draft.
Miller projects nose guard Quinton Bohanna as the 157th overall pick — late fifth round — and noted his “efficiency in controlling the center of the line” led to Pro Football Focus naming him second-team All-SEC. Bohanna had nine tackles for loss, two sacks, and four pass breakups at UK.
Center Drake Jackson is listed at 105 — early fourth round. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 57 player overall in college football last season. He started 44 straight games, the third-longest streak at UK since 1993, to show his durability. He had 40 knockdown blocks and 188 blocks at the point of attack in 2020.
He was on various watch lists for awards and earned all-SEC honors from several media outlets.
Luke Easterling of Draftnetwork.com has Jackson ranked as the 11th best interior lineman in the draft.
Kentucky’s top-ranked draft prospect by Miller is linebacker Jamin Davis, who gave up his final year at UK to enter the draft in what obviously looks like the right move for him after making 102 tackles last season — third-best in the SEC and eighth nationally.
Davis had 10 or more tackles in seven of 11 games, including a career-high 15 against Vanderbilt. He made 13 tackles in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win over North Carolina State. He had three interceptions, including one he returned 85 yards for a score against Tennessee.
One name missing from the mock drafts and position projection lists is tackle Landon young.
Here is what Draftnetwork.com had for its analysis of Young:
“Projects as a fringe roster level prospect when forecasting his game to the NFL level. Young is a linear mover with an accomplished resume at Kentucky, including 48 total games played and 26 starts. Young was a key staple on the Wildcats’ offensive line in recent years, but his short-area quickness and foot speed, when paired with some tightness through the core, will give him little margin for error in both the pass and run game as he looks to try to make his mark.
Young should be considered a late-round pick candidate or alternatively a priority undrafted free agent — his physical profile is one that cannot be taught and he will have a home on a 90-man roster this summer with no questions asked. From there, the question becomes how much improvement and consistency Young can produce with further NFL coaching. Ideal role: Practice squad offensive tackle.”
