Buffalo Bills select Ray Davis in fourth round of 2024 NFL Draft

Kentucky running back and former Vanderbilt player Re’Mahn “Ray” Davis has been selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, going to the Buffalo Bills with the 28th pick of the fourth round.

Davis’ transition to the professional ranks comes after an illustrious collegiate career at three different stops. He began at Temple and hit the ground in a spring with the Owls, rushing for 936 yards and eight touchdowns in his very first season. His second year, Davis only played in four of Temple’s seven total games thanks to a COVID-shortened season but he still went for 308 yards.

In 2021, Davis first used the transfer portal to catch on at Vanderbilt, where he appeared in three games his first year to rush for 211 yards, but then missed the rest of the season due to a torn ligament in his toe which required surgery.

In 2022, though, Davis returned to his freshman year form, finally surpassing 1,000 yards to rush for 1,042 plus eight total touchdowns. After that stellar year at the SEC level, a running back factory, Kentucky, took a look at Davis and brought him on board for 2023.

Davis was even better in blue and white, serving as the most explosive offensive player by far for the Wildcats. He rushed for 1,129 yards and added another 323 as a pass catcher, which NFL scouts really loved to see. Davis had a knack for making decent runs out of nothing and hitting the frequent home run. His speed and explosiveness, plus the new-shown pass catching ability really make him an appealing NFL back.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Ray Davis

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com held some high praise for Davis in the pre-draft process and provided this scouting report of the Wildcat running back:

“Three-down back with adequate blend of toughness between the tackles and production out of the backfield. Davis can be a tad indecisive at times but did a much better job of toggling between urgent and patient in his lone season at Kentucky. The vision is fairly average, and he’s not going to scare NFL defenses with his speed, but he does alter his pacing to create openings, and he’ll finish with some thud behind his pads.

“Ultimately, he’ll need to step up his pass protection to be trusted as a third-down option. Davis’ compact frame, toughness and ability to catch the football could make him a middle-round option as a three-down backup with the ability to play a larger role in time.”

Best of luck to Ray Davis as he begins his NFL journey.