The San Francisco 49ers selected UCF defensive tackle Kalia Davis with the 42nd pick (No. 220 overall) in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers were awarded this selection as a compensatory pick due to more offseason losses than additions in 2021.
Davis formally met with the 49ers at the NFL Scouting Combine and was a pre-draft visit in Santa Clara.
Davis registered 17 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and a sack through five game appearances as a senior in 2021, per Sports Reference. He recorded 61 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, four sacks, two passes defensed, and a forced fumble through his four collegiate seasons.
Davis is from Pensacola, FL. He earned a pre-draft grade of 6.13 from NFL.com, which equates to a "good backup with potential to become a starter," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
The 6'1" and 302-pound Davis had 30 reps in the bench press at his personal Pro Day.
NFL.com projected Davis to be a fifth- or seventh-round draft pick.
Davis stayed in-state to play for the Knights after earning first-team all-state honors as a senior linebacker at West Florida Tech. He added weight early in his UCF career, though, playing in 10 games as a reserve defensive lineman his redshirt freshman season (17 tackles, 2.5 for loss). Davis started the team's final nine games in 2019 (27 tackles, eight for loss with three sacks in 13 appearances) before opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. He started the first five games of 2021 (17 tackles, 4.5 for loss with one sack) but missed the second half of the year with a torn ACL. -- by Chad Reuter
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Davis to Trysten Hill, wrote the following within his scouting report:
One-gapping three-technique with terrific snap quickness that creates early advantages with the potential to become full-scale disruptions. Davis is a former linebacker with above-average bend, foot quickness and athleticism to create mismatches for lumbering guards. He needs more schooling and refinement as both a run defender and pass rusher to become capable of competing against the spectrum of talent he will see on the next level. He hasn't played much football over the last two seasons, but his explosive flashes could foreshadow a bright upside as a disruptive, upfield talent.
Measurables
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 302 lbs.
Arm length: 33 5/8 inches
Hand length: 9 1/2 inches
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