Jamin Davis Limited in OTAs after Offseason Surgery

Former Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis is spending his second offseason as a pro recovering from an injury.

The Washington Commanders are among the many NFL teams currently in OTAs. Davis, a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was noticeably absent from the action. Head coach Ron Rivera does not have any long-term concerns about the health of his starting inside linebacker.

“Jamin Davis is only going through walkthroughs and meetings right now,” Rivera told reporters this week. “He had a minor cleanup procedure on his knee from a lingering issue from last season. He’ll continue to work his way back into the mix, and we’re not worried about this being a long-time thing.”

Jamin Davis made significant step forward from year one to year two in the league. In 2021 he started in half of the games, tallying 76 tackles, 3.0 for loss and a sack. A year later he was a starter in all but one contest and led Washington in tackles with 106 tackles. He added in 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

People forget that he was only a starter for one season at Kentucky before he skyrocketed up NFL Draft board as an early entrant. A slow-cooker, his developmental curve was going to take a little longer. Despite the injury, he’s right on track. Defensive coordinator Jack del Rio described the next step in his development.

“Jamin Davis has incredible splash plays. What we’ve got to do is have Jamin eliminate the ‘What the Hell are you doing’ plays. He has a few moments where that happens. Much less last year,” the Washington defensive coordinator said this week.

“When he eliminates that part of his game, and it becomes more of the splash, he is extremely talented.”

The offseason surgery appears to only be a minor setback that should not delay his long-term growth as a player.