The Buffalo Bills may have struck gold when they selected running back Ray Davis out of Kentucky in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Bills list him as their third-string running back on the unofficial team depth chart. If Davis continues to surge in the third preseason game, he could be poised for an even larger role come the regular season.
This summer through two preseason games, Davis has become a reliable playmaker. Gaining 60 yards on 13 carries, Davis has also shown off his hands with three receptions for 19 yards.
#Bills rookie RB Ray Davis has impressed. Love James Cook, but Davis seems like a true threat to his alpha workload.
— Will Lever (@ContestedCatch) August 20, 2024
*Cook (drops, fumbles) is no stranger to the doghouse
*Davis has an alpha frame (21lbs heavier)
*Cook not used at the GL much in ‘23
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In addition to his obvious on-field talent, Davis is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Overcoming childhood trauma shaped Bills RB Ray Davis
It's not hard to see why fans love watching Davis succeed. His story is quite inspiring. Davis was one of 11 siblings growing up. His parents were both incarcerated at times during his childhood, and there was a period of time during which homelessness was a real possibility.
“I know how it feels to be that kid on the outside looking in, to not be wanted, to not be with your real family, to have others look out for you and to live that double life where you go to school every day and act like things are normal but when you get home it’s back to reality,” Davis said in 2021. “Those were rough times for me."
Those experiences helped shape Davis into the young man he is today.
“I don’t think I’d be the man I am today without those experiences," he said. "It just made me look at the bigger picture of life. There’s always a lot of people going through way worse things than me.”
That perspective can only help him as he pursues his NFL dream.
