As a Jets fan, there are many things that go through my head. From stupid signings to wishful trades, there’s always something worth noting from my daydreams during science class.
Now we all know the Jets are very, very thin at QB heading into the Draft. They have shown no interest in signing guys like Leftwich, Grossman, or Losman through free agency, and seem poised to begin training camp with a battle between Clemens and Ratliff for the right to be the head signal caller on opening weekend. Now I'm not one who believes in taking quarterbacks early in the Draft. With the QB’s entering the Draft this year, it makes little sense for the Jets to trade up and try to get Alex Smith or Aaron Rodgers. I'm sorry. I meant Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez. However, they should be looking out for a sleeper with their third or fourth round pick, and his name is Nate Davis.
What a difference a year makes. Davis came into the year as a nobody. If you weren’t a fan of Ball State or true follower of MAC football, you probably didn’t even know who he was. However, midway through the season with Ball State climbing the polls and his stock rising every down he played, Davis seemed a first round lock. Experts were comparing him to Donavan McNabb. Kids all around the country were signing his praises. If he would have continued playing as well as he did and led Ball State to a MAC title, we may be talking about Davis as a possibility at 17, but things haven’t turned out that way. Nate really struggled toward the end of the season. He looked more like Andy Dalton and Richard Stanzi than Nate Davis. He just wasn't himself out there. When drives were going well and he seemed to be leading his teammates toward a touchdown, he fumbled. When he used to scramble out of the pocket and find the open man, he threw a pick, and so on for a three game stretch that lost him millions.
Now, there are concerns about his height, his learning disability, his awareness, his mechanics, his ball security, and countless other weaknesses scouts have been pinpointing ever since he played his last down of football in January. If you’ve read this far in the article, which I know most of you haven’t, you must be asking yourself, what is Civardi getting at here? Why is he telling us about a guy who has nothing to do with the Jets? Did I just waste two minutes of my life reading about a guy who who was a one year wonder in college? What I’m getting at is the Jets need to draft Nate Davis. In three years as the Ball State starter he posted 74 touchdowns and completed over 60 percent of his passes, which went for over 9,000 yards. His stats are very similar to Big Ben's. Though he may not be as big at him, his deep ball is just as good, and Davis has the same knack for making the big play.
If I was the Jets, theres no way I would let this guy pass me by. At worst, you get another Alex Smith, at best, you get a combination of McNabb and Ben Roethlisberger who could start from day one. Now who doesn’t want that?
QB Nate Davis Highlights Ball State vs Tulsa 2009 (via DraftParty)