Sports
The Vikings May Have Found Their Next Big Surprise
The Minnesota Vikings are known for their receiving corps, headlined by standout receiver Justin Jefferson, who’s on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory. He’s flanked by Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings in arguably the best trio in all of football. Behind those three, however, the Vikings don’t have any other established wideouts. Someone who has never played in the NFL could be the beneficiary.
Joaquin Davis, a 2025 undrafted free agent, has the type of physical tools that make him a player to watch this summer. He initially joined the club toward the end of last season, signing with the practice squad in December and later earned a futures contract for 2026.
Davis signed with the Broncos after going unclaimed in the 2025 draft and turned heads throughout the offseason and in training camp. He’s primed to do that, given his Randy Moss-looking body at 6’4″ and 195 lbs with 4.3 speed.
Of course, not every tall, fast receiver is Moss; in fact, the history of the NFL is full of draft busts who had Davis’ measurements, but it’s still worth something.
Despite his tools, he went undrafted, which should tell us about his raw skill set.
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.”
Davis spent his college career at North Carolina Central, tabulating 1,211 yards and 12 touchdowns over three seasons of actually seeing the field on offense.
Davis was a standout in training camp. Broncos reporter Andrew Mason posted on social media last 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.”
The jump from an HBCU to the NFL is hard, but not unprecedented. The Athletic’s Jason Jones wrote during Davis’ pre-draft journey, “Davis considers that added motivation, as he is well aware of the legacy of HBCU wide receivers who have had memorable careers in the NFL. Among the names are Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Charlie Joiner (Grambling State), Bob Hayes (Florida A&M), Harold Carmichael (Southern) and John Stallworth (Alabama A&M).”
Every year, the Vikings have an undrafted receiver who’s turning heads but never gets into a game. For Denver, Davis was that guy. His preseason exposure led to a pair of catches for two yards.
He’ll never become Moss, but if the Vikings can teach him some fundamentals and use him in a certain way, he could be a sweet situational downfield threat for Minnesota.
Behind the top trio, the Vikings have to pick between last year’s rookies Tai Felton and Myles Price, who both starred on special teams but barely played a role on offense, as well as undrafted rookies Luke Wysong, Marcus Sanders Jr., Shaleak Knotts, and Dillon Bell. Last year’s practice-squad players, Jeshaun Jones and Dontae Fleming, complete the group.
As always, for end-of-the-roster players, playing on special teams is key. Though his time in the Twin Cities might never amount to anything, freak athlete Davis will be a player to watch this summer.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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