Written By Adam Aniba
Washington's loss to Tampa Bay provided little encouragement for fans, aside from rookie QB Jayden Daniels taking home The Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, in his first regular season NFL game.
As bad as the defense was on all phases, one player stood out with limited snaps.
Although linebacker Jamin Davis has come up short since being drafted 19th overall in 2021, his new role in Joe Whitt Jr.'s scheme could lead to an uptick in sack production for the defense.
Davis was also used as a situational pass rusher while at Kentucky, so the transition isn't totally foreign to him.
As Paulsen mentioned below, Davis had a great rep vs left tackle Tristan Wirfs in his first regular season game lining up as a pass rusher.
Former Redskins defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, who is now on the coaching side of the ball has apparently been a vital cog in Davis' transition.
Coming into the league, Kerrigan lined up at OLB and DE, depending on the scheme deployed. So his expedience will only aid Davis during his transition.
Davis seems like a natural fit as a situational pass rusher and boasts explosive speed at that. The move will hopefully reshape the way opponents game plan, while facing the challenge of counteracting Davis' blitzes and potential disruptive plays.
Again, although his snaps were limited, recent comments from HC Dan Quinn seem to indicate that Commanders fans could see more of Davis come Sunday vs the Giants.
Hopefully it marks a significant turning point for their underachieving defense.
Don't get it twisted, Davis isn't an ideal passing rushing option to lineup on the edge 80% of the snaps per game, since he could be a liability vs the run. But in smaller doses, Davis could be a valuable chess piece if the rest of the defenisve unit can get it together that is.
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