Ray Davis Selected in the 4th Round of the NFL Draft by the Bills

From rags to riches, Ray Davis has achieved what once seemed impossible. The former Kentucky running back was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the NFL Draft with pick No. 128.

A decade ago he was homeless. Instead of getting lost in the foster care shuffle, Davis played the difficult hand he was dealt and fought through adversity at so many stages until his name was announced on the NFL Draft stage in Detroit. It’s an incredibly heartwarming story that will end with the explosive athlete playing on NFL Sundays.

Joining Davis as drafted Wildcats so far are DB Andru Phillips (No. 70; Giants) and LB Trevin Wallace (No. 72; Panthers).

Davis began his collegiate career in Philadelphia at Temple and was only a few yards shy of 1,000 in his first season. After dealing with injuries, he transferred to Vanderbilt where the injury bug bit again. A friend to adversity, he pushed through it to tally 1,211 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022.

During that campaign he had an outstanding performance at Kroger Field, propelling Vanderbilt to a stunning upset of the Wildcats and opening the eyes of the Kentucky football coaching staff. That offseason he made the move to Lexington and had one of the best seasons ever by a Kentucky running back.

An explosive weapon as a ball-carrier and a wide receiver, he set UK single-season records for touchdowns and total points scored. He led the SEC in touchdowns from scrimmage, rushing for 14 scores and taking seven receptions to the house. Davis finished the 2023 season with 1,129 rushing yards (5.7 ypc.) and 323 receiving yards.

Even though he’s a larger running back, big plays are the name of Ray’s game. He had nine carries and two receptions of 30+ yards, creating an eye-opening Kentucky highlight reel. His best performance was a masterpiece against Florida. He rushed for 280 yards and three touchdowns and also hauled in a receiving touchdown in a 33-14 win over the Gators.

It’s the second straight year a Kentucky running back has been selected in the NFL Draft. Chris Rodriguez was taken in the sixth round last spring by the Washington Commanders.

Davis is the latest transfer portal success story at Kentucky. It’s the fourth straight year a Wildcat who transferred into the program has been selected in the NFL Draft, something that will surely come up in conversations when Kentucky is looking for new pieces to add to its roster in the offseason.

Will Levis, Second Round, No. 33 Overall
Wan’Dale Robinson, Second Round, No. 43 Overall
Kelvin Joseph, Second Round, No. 44 Overall
Brandin Echols, Sixth Round, No. 200 Overall