Vikings Give Tall and Speedy Receiver a Look
The season is over for the Minnesota Vikings, and the franchise can give some players an extensive look in the final five weeks of the season. All eyes will be on quarterback J.J. McCarthy and whether he can show at least some growth, but the other players could get some extra reps, too. Rookies Tai Felton and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins come to mind.
Vikings Give Tall and Speedy Receiver a Look
One guy who won’t be part of the late-season roster is wideout Adam Thielen. The future Ring of Honor inductee requested a release, and the Vikings granted him his wish. He’ll try to make some noise with the Pittsburgh Steelers in what is expected to be his final season.
Potentially a receiver short, the Vikings tried out a trio on Tuesday — Joaquin Davis, Dohnte Meyers, and Elijah Cooks.
Meyers went undrafted in 2023 and has been a CFL star over the past couple of years. Cooks, who also went undrafted in 2023, has been a practice squad receiver for his entire career.
And then, there’s Joaquin Davis. He’s an intriguing player who turned some heads in training camp with the Broncos this year. Going undrafted out of North Carolina Central, Davis stands 6’4″ and 195 pounds. The tall wideout brings 4.36 speed to the table.
Those rare physical tools automatically make him an intriguing prospect.
NFL Draft scout Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile, “Height, length and speed are all check marks in Davis’ favor. His rare blend of length, elite speed and foot quickness will be enticing to a team late in the draft or as a priority free agent. He’s still very unrefined as a route-runner and needs to improve his play strength and catch consistency. While there are issues to work through, his ability to separate and stretch the field creates an intriguing ceiling.”
He went undrafted despite those tools, which should tell everyone that he is, indeed, a raw player. The jump from an HBCU school to the NFL is significant. Then, the Broncos cut him in August.
Still, Davis was a standout in training camp. Broncos reporter Andrew Mason posted on social media in July, “Joaquin Davis, if the Broncos can give him time, could really be something special. The ball just sticks in his hands. Like Velcro when it hits. His wingspan, his stride, his vertical, his speed … man, this dude has some tools. The NCCU product has got serious potential.”
Every year, on every team, there’s some random undrafted rookie that’s standing out in July and August and yet still fails to make the team. For Denver, Davis was that guy.
In the preseason, he caught a couple of passes for 25 yards.
It’s certainly unlikely that he’d be some hidden gem, but crazier things have happened in the NFL, and a player with that kind of speed and size will always be an intriguing player.
Even without Thielen in the mix, the Vikings still feature the top trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor. Tai Felton and Myles Price have almost exclusively been used on special teams, but they might get a ball or two thrown their way in the last five games of the season.
On the practice squad, the Vikings employ Jeshaun Jones and Dontae Fleming. There’s an opening, as running back Corey Kiner was stolen. Davis could be an option to take that spot.
The speedster’s athleticism is intriguing. Giving him a look on the practice squad and then handing him a contract for next offseason makes sense.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.