If South Carolina running back Mike Davis' decision whether to turn pro after the season hinges merely on being drafted rather than any certainties of being picked in the first round, he apparently remains in a strong position to declare early.
The junior projects as a third- to fourth-round pick, an NFL scout told Sports Illustrated, and compares well as a prospect to Kansas City Chiefs running back Knile Davis.
"It's the same thing," the scout said. "Everybody thought Knile Davis was terrible. He was fumbling the ball. He was kind of not there. Production was down. Team wasn't good. Now look, he's making plays."
One key difference, of course, is that Knile Davis came out of Arkansas battling not only questions about production but about the health of his knee, as well. After an explosive sophomore season with 1,322 yards, a serious knee injury sidelined him for all of 2011, and upon his return in 2012, his 377-yard senior season fell flat as draft validation. Nevertheless, the Chiefs drafted him in the third round in 2013. Mike Davis hasn't sustained any such injury at South Carolina, but his production this year has been slightly off.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said before the season that Davis would likely declare for the 2015 draft. As it turns out, Davis could also be joined by Gamecocks backup Brandon Wilds, who has been impressive this season and is considering an early NFL jump of his own.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
