South Carolina’s Mike Davis Entering 2015 NFL Draft

South Carolina Gamecocks running back Mike Davis has declared his intent to enter the 2015 NFL Draft after the team’s bowl game against the Miami Hurricanes. Davis, a 5-foot-9, 223 pound junior is projected right now as a day two pick, and that’s likely where he will stay depending on how the rest of the underclassmen shake out in terms of adding depth to a class of backs that is top notch already.

What Davis brings to the table is an intriguing blend of quickness and power, able to use his low center of gravity to keep his legs churning through initial contact, but he’s also capable of being a good outside runner as well.

If you’re hunting for a bargain at the running back position in this year’s draft, Davis could be it. With his size and skillset, he could be a lead back in the NFL and a really good one at that. He is built to take a pounding, not too unlike C.J. Anderson with the Denver Broncos right now with his blend of size, quickness, power, agility, and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

With guys like Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon stealing headlines at the top of the draft, some team could find a really solid gem in Davis later on in the draft as a possible lead back while addressing some other needs early on.

Some people might question his decision to leave early, but Davis — like all other running backs anymore — has to be conscious of the wear and tear on his body in college before making a living at it in the pros. We saw Marcus Lattimore completely dominate the competition early on his career at South Carolina, only to see a promising NFL career ripped away by a gruesome leg injury a couple of years ago.

Davis made the right call, now we’ll see what team will take a shot on him.