The LA Chargers selected Quentin Johnston, Tuli Tuipulotu and Daiyan Henley in the first three rounds in the 2023 NFL Draft. Los Angeles had three picks on day three of the draft, starting with the 125th overall pick in round four.
With that selection, the Chargers decided to double-dip with TCU receivers and drafted Derius Davis. Davis will follow his teammate Johnston to Los Angeles and is going to play a very specific role with the Bolts in 2023 and beyond.
Here is everything you need to know about Derius Davis if you are not familiar with his game.
Chargers draft Derius Davis, what fans need to know:
There is one very obvious reason why the Chargers drafted Davis in the fourth round: special teams value. Davis was one of the best returners in the entire country. With DeAndre Carter leaving for the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bolts needed someone that can return punts and kicks at a high level.
Davis can do exactly that, as evident by his college film.
DERIUS DAVIS TO THE HOUSE 🏠@TCUFootball strikes first in Forth Worth 🔥 pic.twitter.com/O1lhlY9eoM
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 5, 2022
Davis ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at the NFL Combine and injects that speed into the Chargers offense that was so desparetly needed. That being said, Chargers fans should not expect Davis to play a huge role in the offense right away.
With Jalen Guyton on the roster, Davis is almost certainly going to be the WR6 next season and is going to get almost all of his reps on special teams. It will be great to have him in the building in the case of injuries but he probably won't be a featured part of the passing attack.
Davis has similar potential that Joe Reed had when the Chargers drafted him in 2020. Davis has a much higher ceiling and floor on special teams but as an offensive piece, the two are very similar. Davis is going to be a gadget-play receiver early on in his NFL career and that probably is going to be about it.
That is not to say that he cannot develop into a slot receiver, and that probably is what the Chargers want long-term, but in his rookie season his presence will almost exclusively be felt on special teams, not on offense.