One of ‘Most Accurate’ Mock Draft Experts, Bob McGinn, Has Colts Taking Jarrad Davis

According to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGinn, who is widely regarding as one of the most accurate draft prognosticators, the Indianapolis Colts will take an inside linebacker in the first round on Thursday night.

However, only it won’t be Alabama’s Reuben Foster, but Florida’s Jarrad Davis with the 15th overall selection:

"Nov 28, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports15. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Jarrad Davis, ILB, FloridaRB Dalvin Cook would fit, too. Davis instantly becomes the heart and soul of what was a 30th-ranked defense."

With Foster being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 9th overall pick, the Colts opt to select potentially the ‘next best thing’ at the position regarding Davis.

It’s not the first time that the Colts have been linked to Davis, as DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline previously reported that Indianapolis was among the teams showing interest–along with the Washington Redskins.

The 6’1″, 238 pound inside linebacker is regarded as one of the best prospects at his position, as he’s ranked as NFL Network’s Mike Mayock’s 4th best inside linebacker.

Davis is coming off a senior season in which he recorded 60 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and 4 passes defensed in 9 starts–having suffered a knee injury, yet still earning 2nd-Team All-SEC honors.

Here’s his Pro Football Focus scouting profile:

"Player comparison: Bobby Wagner, Seattle SeahawksLike Wagner, Davis is an elite athlete but is undersized for an inside linebacker. While that can inhibit him in some ways, Davis has everything needed to be a pro bowl linebacker.Bottom line: Davis is an excellent athlete who possesses the first-step explosiveness to beat blocks to the point of attack as well as threaten the QB on pass rushes. He also has the speed and agility to drop effectively in coverage, and can stay with tight ends and backs all over the field. If he can improve his tackling, as well as become more consistent with his run keys, he clearly has the athletic skill set to be an every-down player at the NFL level."

Here’s what other NFL Draft experts are saying on Davis as well:

Of course, the Colts could clearly use an upgrade at inside linebacker.

It’s worth noting that the team did sign a pair of veteran free agents, Sean Spence and Jon Bostic, but neither player can be safely penciled into the starting lineup at this point–although they’re definitely expected to push what should be a healthy competition.

Otherwise, the Colts have two young inside linebackers, Edwin Jackson and Antonio Morrison (Davis’ former Florida teammate), who did show some flashes during the season, but for the most part, remain both unpolished and unproven for the starting inside linebacker position.

Simply put, the Colts have struggled replacing departed starter Jerrell Freeman from an offseason ago and have already released longtime veteran D’Qwell Jackson earlier this offseason.

There’s definitely starting spots up for grabs at inside linebacker, and if the Colts selected Davis, he’d be an immediate plug-and-play player in the middle of their defense as a clear upgrade to any player they currently have.

Specifically, the Colts have been unable to find inside linebackers, who can effectively cover and play in space, as the majority of their inside linebackers have been purely straight-line, ‘downhill’ players. Playing in coverage and space is something that Davis should excel at given his athleticism and speed.

Next: Indianapolis Colts: Looking at the team after a few months away

The Colts really haven’t had a great inside linebacker in recent memory, as while both Freeman and even Gary Brackett were very good with the franchise, neither was exactly a true star either respectively.

Davis has sideline-to-sideline ability and can hold his own against both the run and pass to eventually become one of the most complete inside linebackers in all of football. He could potentially anchor the Colts defense for the next decade if he ends up being their pick on Thursday night.