Steelers 2-a-days: Twins Carlos, Khalil Davis competing for jobs on defensive line

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DT CARLOS DAVIS

Experience: 3rd season

Contract status: $918,376 cap hit in 2022, signed through 2023

2022 outlook: A seventh-round pick from the 2020 draft class, Davis is still trying to find a role in the Steelers defensive rotation. He may be running out of time to do it.

Davis is an interior defensive lineman on a team that has an abundance of more experienced options. At nose tackle, Tyson Alualu is returning from an injury that limited him to two games last year, and Montravius Adams returned to the Steelers on a two-year deal. The Steelers also have captain Cameron Heyward at defensive tackle, with a logjam of players vying for the third starting spot on the defensive line.

In 2021, Davis sustained a knee injury in the season opener at Buffalo when he played a career-best 17 snaps. He spent a stretch on injured reserve and didn’t get a helmet until Week 14 against Tennessee. He appeared in three games down the stretch but was inactive in the finale at Baltimore and the wild-card game at Kansas City.

Davis was active for seven games in 2020.

These twin brothers are currently 1st and 3rd among DL at the 40-yard-dash ????

Khalil Davis: 6'1"; 308 lbs; 4.75
Carlos Davis: 6'2"; 313 lbs; 4.82

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/MnSFpDWUAm

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 29, 2020

DT KHALIL DAVIS

Experience: 3rd season

Contract status: $895,000 cap hit in 2022, signed through 2022

2022 outlook: It’s no secret the Steelers like brother combinations, and they added Carlos Davis’ twin brother to the practice squad in November. Khalil Davis was a sixth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2020, getting selected one round before Carlos was picked by the Steelers.

Davis was active for two games in his rookie season, and he made the Buccaneers roster in 2021 but was waived in October. The Indianapolis Colts claimed him, and he appeared in one game before he was waived again four weeks later.

That’s when the Steelers added Davis to the practice squad. He was not active for any games the rest of the season but will compete for a roster spot in a crowded position room. If Davis earns a way on the 53-man roster, it may come at the expense of his brother. Another year on the practice squad is a more likely possibility.

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