Daviyon Nixon is one of those players that makes your jaw drop when he makes a play. He’s 6’3 305 lbs and is quick. A year after AJ Epinesa, the Hawkeyes put another player into the draft that’s a really good prospect.
Stats
2019: 29 Tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3 sacks
2020: 45 Tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 TD
Strengths
The most physical player in this position group, Daviyon Nixon possesses the athleticism to be a versatile player at the next level. He’s great against the run. That’s mostly because of his explosiveness. It’s nearly impossible to zone block this guy, but you’re really not going to be able to do it in the power game either. He gets off the ball and fires his hands faster than any one of the other interior D-lineman in this class. His awareness to bat the ball down at the LOS also stands out. Not only is he great against the run, but his pass rush is good, too. His hands and technique coupled with his athleticism give him advantages in the passing game. Being as good as he is, he draws a lot of double teams, which he is really good at fighting.
Weaknesses
The only glaring weakness he has is that he’s so aggressive sometimes that he takes himself out of the play with his first step. In college, he proved that didn’t have a huge impact either. He still made plays even with some of those missed first steps.
Scheme Fit: 4-3 3 tech
I think he can play in a 3-4, but a 4-3 would be the best-case scenario for him. If he gets to line up as a 3 tech call it a day for the offense.
Player Comparison: Kawaan Short
Nixon has the same kind of build that Short did coming out of college. I do think Nixon is more athletic, which bodes well for him as Short had a pretty successful stint in the NFL.
Draft Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1/32)
The rich get richer. If Nixon falls this far, which I see very likely, the Bucs get the perfect guy to plug into their system and run it back.
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