2017 NFL Draft: Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis may miss Combine

Wide receiver Corey Davis has the attention of NFL teams, but an injury may set him back as the pre-draft process ramps up.

Along with Western Michigan’s rise from 1-11 to 13-1 and a Rose Bowl berth during P.J. Fleck’s four seasons as head coach, wide receiver Corey Davis became a legit NFL prospect during his time in Kalamazoo. After catching 97 passes for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior in 2016, Davis finished his career with 332 receptions for an FBS record 5,285 yards and 52 touchdowns.

Davis is widely considered the second-best wide receiver prospect in the 2017 NFL draft class, behind Clemson’s Mike Williams, and a potential first-round pick. Davis declined an invitation to the recently completed Senior Bowl, surely with an eye on the NFL Combine and his Pro Day, so Tuesday’s news puts a damper on that.

#WMU 1st-rd WR Corey Davis suffered an ankle injury while training, I'm told. Source tells @MikeGarafolo his Combine status is in doubt

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 31, 2017

Davis reportedly suffered an ankle injury during training, and he may miss workouts at the upcoming NFL Combine. He will surely still participate in interviews with teams in Indianapolis during the first week in March, but workouts may have to wait until Western Michigan’s yet-unscheduled Pro Day and private sessions with teams.

Top NFL draft prospects, and quarterbacks more specifically as a majority, routinely skip working out at the Combine for reasons other than an injury. Davis is not an exact comparison as a wide receiver, but this status as a first-round pick should not be affected by an ankle injury that only keeps from doing on-field work in Indianapolis.

Game tape generally doesn’t lie as an ultimate indicator of talent. Davis has the size and skill set that translates well to the NFL, and those things should trump any concerns about a lower level of college competition in the MAC. If any teams legitimately let this ankle issue diminish Davis’ stock, as long as it isn’t a lingering issue, then they will ultimately lose to the more savvy teams around the league that don’t drop Davis down their draft boards.