Browns NFL Draft Profile: RB Isaiah Davis

Could Isaiah Davis be Cleveland’s ideal mid-late round RB target?

The Cleveland Browns are heading into the 2024 NFL Draft with a plethora of positions in mind, and running back is surely one of them.

Nick Chubb will continue to be the talk of the offseason and for good reason. Nobody knows or can predict how he’s going to look when he makes it back onto the field. The Browns did a good job of adding to the running back room in free agency, but they need to add youth and playmaking potential behind these players who are on 1-year deals in D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines.

Isaiah Davis is a player who could be on Cleveland’s radar heading into draft weekend due to his play style, size, and overall potential.

Name

Isaiah Davis

Position

Running Back

Height/Weight

6’0.2”, 218 pounds

College

University of South Dakota

Stats

2023: 15 starts – 236 carries, 1578 rush. yards, 6.7 avg., 18 TDs, 23 recs., 199 rec. yards, 8.7 avg., 1 TD

Overall: 46 career games – 676 carries, 4548 rush. yards, 7.1 avg., 50 TDs, 46 recs., 380 rec. yards, 6.97 avg., 1 TD

Relative Athletic Score

“Big Board” ranking at time of publishing

200th

What experts are saying

“Brinks-truck runner with the size and power to collide through first contact and create additional yards. Davis is a naturally physical player due to his size but also possesses the bend and footwork to create alternate pathways when needed. He will need to ramp up his decisiveness and hit holes more quickly to thrive through the step up in competition. Davis has limited speed to widen NFL defenses and will need to run with more downhill focus. He has the potential to play all three downs and should be in consideration in the middle rounds.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL Draft Analyst

“Davis grades out as an early Day 3 prospect on my board, who could feasibly enter top-100 range with a good offseason showing. Davis might not have the most passing-down utility among his 2024 NFL Draft counterparts, but he’s one of the most prolific early-down backs in the class, and his style translates.” – Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network

“Isaiah Davis is a highly productive running back with the size and NFL-caliber skill set worth developing.” – Damian Parson, The Draft Network

Pros

• Very strong, bruising runner
• Good acceleration
• Adequate agility, able to side-step defenders in the backfield
• Above-average eye discipline and hole recognition
• Understands how to run through and break different types of tackles
• Excellent short-yardage back, churns legs upon contact and drives forward
• Despite his lack of experience as a pass-catcher, he’s shown that he can run a variety of routes at an effective level

Cons

• Average athleticism
• Little experience as a pass catcher
• Doesn’t have “home run” speed to break away from defensive backs downfield

Browns player drafting could impact

Jerome Ford. Though D’Onta Foreman will most likely be the “main” ball carrier until Nick Chubb returns to the field, Ford is probably in line to handle most of the rotational work as of right now. If the team drafts Davis, he’d undoubtedly contend for some of Ford’s rotational or sub-package snaps on early downs.

Priority

Medium. As mentioned earlier, Cleveland signed D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines to 1-year deals in free agency but they need to add youth and athleticism to the running back room for the future.

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