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Colts to Meet With South Carolina RB Mike Davis

By Evan Reller

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The Indianapolis Colts continue to prepare for the NFL Draft at the end of the month by hosting workouts with a number of players. South Carolina running back Mike Davis is set to be making a visit this week with the Colts.

Davis is leaving for the draft a year early and was quite productive over three seasons with the Gamecocks. He amassed 2,440 yards with a 5.4 yard per carry average and found the end zone 22 times.

He was also effective as a receiver, snagging 70 receptions for 755 yards and two touchdowns

Davis’ numbers dipped a bit in his junior year and while he didn’t miss any games, it’s clear that he wasn’t 100-percent in 2014. Some reports indicate a rib injury early in the year as well as a hamstring that hurt his explosiveness out of the backfield.

There are also concerns about his quickness. At the NFL Scouting combine, Davis ran a 4.61 40-yard dash and managed to improve on that number by running a 4.52 at South Carolina’s pro day. There was also an unofficial time of 4.38 and 4.45 on his pro day 40. At the combine, Davis didn’t manage to finish in the top 10 in any of the events among running backs.

He should be a middle round player and some see him as a possible steal in this years draft. Davis could have stayed in college but cited the need to support his mother as the main reason to make this jump now.

Davis measured in at 5-9 and 217-pounds, making him on the smaller size for a running back. The smaller stature, a lack of quickness, and durability concerns raise the issue of longevity in the NFL.

That said, he is a well rounded, versatile running back who was productive in the SEC. Some analysts believe that Davis is underrated and has all the qualities you’d like out of a starting RB.

The Colts are definitely in the market for a running back and its a position they should consider addressing in the Draft. While signing Frank Gore will help the offense, he’s at the end of his career and the options behind him offer more questions than answers.

Dan Herron had a nice stretch at the end of the season, but he fumbles the ball too often. Herron is merely an average back and seems to be more of a career backup than a starter.

The Colts also have Vick Ballard, but he’s coming off back-to-back ACL tears and its unclear how productive he can be in the NFL. Its also concerning that both tears came in practice during non-contact drills.

Based on his skill set, Davis seems like a good fit in the Colts offense. Especially considering how the team used Herron in the playoffs. Davis is ideal for dump offs and screens due to his elusiveness.

Davis seems like a good option in the third or fourth round if he manages to fall that far. Luckily for the Colts, this is a very deep draft at the running back position.

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