The San Francisco 49ers have signed former UCF defensive tackle Kalia Davis to his rookie four-year deal. The team made him the 42nd pick (No. 220 overall) in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
"[Davis is] a guy we see a lot of D.J. Jones in, that type explosion," general manager John Lynch said on April 30. "Had an ACL injury and we're going to take our time to make sure Kalia is right. So I'm not sure if he'll be ready for the start of the regular season, could be a PUP guy, but really just loved [him]. He fits exactly who we want to be as a defensive tackle and became very fond of him through the process. Didn't know how that would go, you never do about how long they're going to last. Felt like that was really good value there."
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.
"I played linebacker in high school, and I was recruited in college as a linebacker, so I played linebacker my freshman and sophomore year at UCF," Davis told reporters after being drafted. "Then in my junior year, that's when I moved to defensive end. Five games into my 2019 season, I moved to defensive tackle, and I've been a defensive tackle ever since."
Thanks to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which runs through the 2030 season, all rookie contracts are for a length of four years. First-round selections come with an option for a fifth year, which doesn't apply to any of the 49ers' nine draft selections.
The total value of Davis' four-year contract is set to be $3,815,412, per OverTheCap.com. That includes a signing bonus of $155,412 and a 2022 salary-cap figure of $743,853.
The 49ers sat down with Davis at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"I met the whole staff, met John Lynch, met everybody," Davis said. "Then, they brought me in on the 30 visit. We just got to know each other a little bit more. Coach Kris [Kocurek] was taking me through the defense. He was just showing me how similar the UCF defense is to San Fran's. It is a perfect situation for me. I just have to come in and work."
