Rookie Profile: Ray Davis, Running Back, Buffalo Bills
Welcome to the Rookie Profile: Re’Mahn “Ray” Davis was a 3-star prospect out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ. He originally committed to Temple University for 2 years. Davis would transfer to Vanderbilt to play for two seasons. In his final year of eligibility, he would transfer to Kentucky.
In his first 2 years at Temple, he had 1,244 rushing yards. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry in that span.
At Vanderbilt, Davis had a slow start. In year one, his third collegiate season, he only saw 44 attempts for less than 220 rushing yards. His second year was much better. Finally, he rushed for over 1,000 yards. This was the first time in his collegiate career. Davis also brought in 29 receptions for 169 yards. This gave him 1,211 total yards.
In his final collegiate season, he transferred to Kentucky. This would become his best season. Davis had just under 200 rushing attempts and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. He had 1,129 rushing yards. Plus, he once again showed his receiving skills by bringing in 33 receptions for 323 receiving yards. Oh, and he had 21 total touchdowns.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 4 Pick 28 (128)
- Fourth-round running backs hold value in today’s game. Although he likely will not get the bulk load of carriers in Buffalo he does have a cleaner path to an RB role than other late-round RBs may have.
- Davis was the 7th RB off the board, and it could be argued that he slipped due to his age being 24 before even playing an NFL snap.
Landing Spot- Buffalo Bills
- The Bills have a dual-threat caliber running back already in James Cook, however, some can argue his size is a concern. Insert Ray Davis, a prototypical RB prospect, with great size and a proven track record of being able to be a bell-cow type of runner.
- Cook should continue to see the bulk of the carries in Buffalo, but it is possible Davis will slide in to become the goal line back. This means he may not get the yards to be elevated as an RB1, but he could get a significant amount of touchdowns.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Developmental Running Back
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
Davis could have some relevancy for your fantasy teams assuming he becomes the main goal line back for Buffalo. But he will likely see fewer yards than one would want for a running back they plug into their starting lineup. I see Davis as more of an annoyance for our teams than a beneficiary. I say this because if he is the goal line back then he will not only take possible touchdowns away from James Cook but also away from Josh Allen. I enjoyed watching Davis during college. He has the traits to be an RB1 for an NFL team.
On the other hand, due to his age and the exciting running back class of 2025 soon to come it is possible this is Davis’s only chance to shine at an NFL level. If he can form any sort of relevancy to be somewhat involved in the Buffalo offense then there might be hope for him in the fantasy community. For now, he is no more than a taxi squad player.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe Sneak Peek Video of Ray Davis
