Geremy Davis is the latest free agent to sign with the Detroit Lions. The veteran wide receiver agreed to terms on Thursday to join the den.
What are the Lions getting in Davis?
In terms of pass catching, not much. Davis has five career receptions in five NFL seasons spanning two teams, the Giants and Chargers. In terms of everything else asked of a reserve wideout, Davis brings a lot to Detroit.
He’s a special teams ace. Davis has been a standout on coverage and blocking units his entire career. The 6-3, 211-pounder is an instant upgrade on the punt and kick units.
I formally interviewed Davis during the 2015 Senior Bowl (for a now-defunct site, RIP Draft Breakdown) before he was a sixth-round pick by the Giants. Even then he saw the merit in trumpeting his special teams ability, and he’s made it his NFL calling card.
On offense, the Chargers deployed him in short-yardage situations as a blocking receiver. Davis had several games where he did not play at all on offense, and against the Lions last September the UConn grad played exactly one offensive snap. He did catch three passes in 2019, but Davis is not much of a receiving threat. He’s a good example of the notion that bigger receivers who struggled to get open in college don’t get any better at that in the NFL.
