PFF: Kentucky's most improved defensive players from 2019-2020

To help prepare for spring practice and recap player trends from the past year Cats Illustrated is digging into the PFF database in researching the 'Cats.

These were Kentucky's most improved defensive players from the 2019 to the 2020 seasons.

1. LB Jamin Davis

2019 Grade: 67.1

2020 Grade: 81.6

Change: +14.5

This should come as no surprise to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Kentucky football. Jamin Davis was one of the breakout players in all of college football. At one point before the 2020 season he was probably on the outside looking in when you're thinking of the first string defense, although we knew he would play a lot. But from the start of the season to the end, he was one of the best players in the best conference and in the nation. There's a case to be made that he belonged on the All-SEC team. He'll have a good draft spot. The one part of Davis' game that was not really showcased was pass rushing but in every other respect he was solid across the board as both a steady hand and a playmaker in the middle of the defense.

2. LB Jordan Wright

2019 Grade: 68.5

2020 Grade: 76.5

Change: +8.0

Perhaps Wright's improvement was underappreciated last year. So what powered the higher marks? Two areas: Coverage and run defense. Wright's grade is largely the product of him having an excellent mark in coverage (85.2). That was the best number on the team. Opponents completed 17 of 22 passes in Wright's vicinity but for just 134 yards and one touchdown. He had an interception and three pass breakups, impressive for an outside 'backer. He struggled in the Missouri game but didn't allow more than 11 yards after the catch in any other game all season. That's reliable defense against skill players in space for a linebacker.

5. DB Yusuf Corker

2019 Grade: 72.8

2020 Grade: 78.4

Change: +5.6

Corker was an above average SEC safety in 2019 and he took yet another step forward in 2020. He graded as the second best player on the defense behind only Jamin Davis according to PFF. He was a sound tackler (69.1), strong against the run (75.2), and very good in coverage (77.6).

4. DB Ty Ajian

2019 Grade: 61.9

2020 Grade: 66.4

Change: +4.5

There was no one part of Ajian's game that was off the charts but he didn't do anything poorly either. The same could be said of Ajian's performance in 2019 but he improved at least marginally in almost every respect last season. It was an incremental step forward powered by all-around improvement and the results were easy to see. The staff trusted him on the field a lot more last season.

5. DL Josh Paschal

2019 Grade: 74.7

2020 Grade: 77.2

Change: +2.5

Paschal was at linebacker in 2019 and defensive line in 2020. Brad White told Cats Illustrated not long ago that he was the best player on the defense through the first two-plus weeks of the season and if he can sustain that his grade could really soar in 2021. Paschal did not struggle with the physicality of the defensive line even moving up from linebacker, as run defense was the best part of his game (75.2). Paschal got a much better score rushing the passer as a defensive lineman than he did at linebacker which is not surprising. It's probably one of the reasons they moved him up to the line of scrimmage.

6. DL Quinton Bohanna

2019 Grade: 73.4

2020 Grade: 75.4

Change: +2.0

Not a lot of Kentucky players saw their grades go up from 2019 to 2020 on the defensive side of the ball so an incremental change from Bohanna gets him on the list. The main thing Bohanna did to improve his score from the previous year was to cut down on missed tackle opportunities.