The Pittsburgh Steelers made a flurry of roster moves on Thursday. The team announced that they had signed wide receiver Joaquin Davis and defensive back Daryl Porter. To make room for these players, the Steelers released long snapper Cal Adomitis and offensive tackle Aiden Williams.
The signing of Davis is particularly interesting.
Davis is a small-school receiver out of North Carolina Central who went undrafted following the 2025 NFL Draft. In his final two college seasons, Davis combined for 920 yards and 10 touchdowns. Though his college production is underwhelming, considering the level of competition, his physical profile raises eyebrows.
Davis stands at 6'3 7/8'' and 194 pounds with nearly 33-inch arms. He pairs impressive size with blazing speed and remarkable explosion. At his North Carolina Central Pro Day last year, Davis posted a 4.36 40-yard dash while recording a 42-inch vertical jump and a 10'4'' broad jump, per RAS.football.
This is an intriguing signing as the Steelers enter the summer.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could carry WR Joaquin Davis on their summer roster
Davis was initially signed by the Denver Broncos following the 2025 draft, but his contract was later terminated. He then spent time on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Now the Steelers have another impressive athlete at wide receiver.
But fans should temper expectations; this is likely nothing more than depth to field their 90-man summer roster.
Davis didn't dress for an NFL game during his rookie season in 2025, and the fact that he's bounced between two teams means he could have a hard time sticking. While Davis' size, speed, and explosion stand out on paper, he needs to showcase his talent on the football field.
If nothing else, this could be an exciting add ahead of the summer. If Davis can find a way to stick around for training camp, he'll get a chance to show the Steelers' new wide receiver coach, Adam Henry, what he can do.
We've seen long-shot success stories before, but Davis needs to make it to training camp before we can even flirt with the idea of a small-school, athletic wide receiver earning a spot on the Steelers' roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google