Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

LB JAMIN DAVIS

Experience/age: Fifth season, 27

Contract status: $1.08 million cap hit in 2026; signed one-year contract

The past: Davis entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick five years ago but has bounced around the league the past two seasons. He spent three months last season with the Raiders practice squad under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and was elevated to the active roster for two games with one start. He made three tackles.

Davis was once a promising prospect, drafted 19th overall by Washington in 2021. He played in 45 games with 26 starts during his first three seasons there. A transition from inside linebacker to defensive end in Year 4 was unsuccessful, leading Washington to cut him five games into the 2024 season. He ended his Commanders stint with 282 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, two recoveries, six pass defenses and one interception. He spent one month with the Packers, two with the Vikings and an offseason with the Jets before the Raiders signed him last October.

In college, Davis was an All-SEC inside linebacker at Kentucky, leading the team in tackles (102) and interceptions (three) as a junior before declaring for the draft. He played 36 career games for the Wildcats with 11 starts.

2026 outlook: Davis attended Steelers minicamp on a tryout basis and signed June 4. His familiarity with Graham’s defensive scheme might be a benefit for him here, but how he fits remains to be seen. He was spotted working with the outside linebackers during individual drills at minicamp. The 6-foot-4, 234-pounder has similar size to Alex Highsmith and Payton Wilson (both listed at 6-4 and 242 pounds).

Davis’ draft profile on NFL.com once described him as an “inside linebacker prospect with excellent blend of size, length and pursuit talent.” He played only 16 snaps last season for the Raiders, split between defensive end and inside linebacker. The Raiders released Davis in April.

In 2023, his last productive season with Washington, Pro Football Focus ranked him 29th among linebackers who played at least 700 snaps. The PFF analytics rated him 16th in run defense, 12th in tackling and 44th in pass coverage. He started 13 games that season before landing on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.