Veteran WR Gabriel Davis hits the free agent market once again after being released by the Jaguars. He had a productive four years in Buffalo as a secondary receiving option before signing with Jacksonville in the 2024 free agent cycle. Davis struggled in his new stop, totaling just 20 catches and 239 yards across 10 games. PFF had him with a 52.5 overall grade, ranking 127th of 133 qualifying receivers.
Those numbers paint a clear picture as to why the Jaguars moved on, but Davis had four years of solid production on his rookie contract with the Bills. He topped out with an 81.5 PFF grade in 2021, but his most productive statistical years were 2022 and 2023. Between them, he had 93 catches for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns, with PFF grades of 66.4 and 67.9 that ranked 60th and 61st among wide receivers, respectively.
As evident in his statistical profile, Davis operates primarily as a deep threat. He can attack the middle of the field, but he’s a possession receiver and downfield weapon. With a big 6-3, 225-pound frame, he offers a unique skillset. He can beat press coverage and win in contested catch scenarios, dominating against smaller corners. While he’ll likely sign on for a depth role at this point, Davis has the potential to carve out an important role on a playoff team, much as he did a few years ago in Buffalo.
One caveat that should be mentioned is health. Davis was limited to 10 games last year before being shut down with a meniscus injury, and the injury probably hampered him even before that. He’s visited a handful of teams already without signing, and a couple have mentioned the knee still being an issue. Wherever Davis signs, he’ll have to pass a physical, so it could take some time.
Davis, 26, was drafted by the Bills out of UCF in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He finished the final year of a four-year, $5.7 million rookie contract and made $2.7 million in 2023 under the PPE program.
He was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 when he signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Jaguars. Jacksonville waived Davis this past offseason after he failed a physical.
In 2024, Davis appeared in 10 games for the Jaguars and recorded 20 catches on 42 targets for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have a new head coach and new quarterback. After a year off the sidelines, Pete Carroll is the new head man in Vegas, bringing QB Geno Smith with him from Seattle via trade. Most expect Carroll to employ his usual “ground-and-pound” style with his new team, and Vegas drafting Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty No. 6 overall would support that theory.
Still, the Raiders could use some diversity in their receiving room. Second-year TE Brock Bowers will likely lead the offense as their top target, and WR Jakobi Meyers is a strong secondary option. Second-round rookie WR Jack Bech offers a lot of potential, and Tre Tucker rounds out the starting receiver trio.
All four of those players have something else in common, though: they all fulfill similar roles in the offense. Bowers, Meyers and Bech, in particular, all dominate the middle of the field. Bowers can make things happen after the catch, but all three are more possession-type targets that thrive on underneath and intermediate routes. This offense has a lot of potential, but they’re missing someone with Davis’ skill set.
If signed, Davis would likely supplant Tucker as Las Vegas’ WR3, offering a downfield attacking threat they currently don’t have. He’s a big-bodied vertical weapon who can beat press coverage and win contested catch situations. Smith loves to attack deep down the field, something his current crop of receiving targets doesn’t do often. Davis would change that, offering a big-play option to unlock the offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have overhauled their receiving room in one offseason. After acquiring WR D.K. Metcalf from the Seahawks, they sent WR George Pickens to the Cowboys and signed WR Robert Woods in free agency. Metcalf and Woods combine with Calvin Austin III to form a diverse, complementary trio of starting receivers.
Still, Pittsburgh doesn’t seem content with its depth chart. They’ve been calling around other teams, seeing if they’d be open for a trade. There was some smoke around the Steelers trading for Miami TE Jonnu Smith, though that’s died down. Reportedly, the Steelers are lowballing teams in their offers, indicating they aren’t willing to pony up much in the way of assets or they aren’t as committed to adding to their depth chart as they seem.
Regardless, relying on Woods and Austin as two-thirds of your starting depth chart at receiver is a gamble for a team like the Steelers with significant expectations in 2025. Davis is free to sign, they wouldn’t need to give up assets for him and he’d give Pittsburgh another option on the outside. His skillset is a bit redundant with Metcalf in the fold, but at this point, they just need some quality depth.
New York Giants
Much like the Raiders, the Giants simply lack a receiver who can do what Davis does on the football field. Malik Nabers is the undisputed WR1 on this team and Wan’Dale Robinson flashed some potential from the slot last year. Darius Slayton is a consistently underrated WR3 and deep speed threat, but Jalin Hyatt hasn’t produced to this point in his career and the options behind him aren’t inspiring.
This Giants regime needs to go all-in on winning this year if they want to keep their jobs. I don’t think it’s quite “playoffs-or-bust,” but earning another top-five pick certainly won’t cut it. New York has pinned their hopes on some combination of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and first-rounder Jaxson Dart to fix their quarterback woes. That’s not exactly an inspiring group, and the offensive line still has questions. The Giants’ defense looks nasty, but that’ll only go so far if the offense can’t produce. Adding Davis solidifies the currently missing wide receiver depth and adds a bigger body to the room, something they’re lacking.
Other teams to watch: Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, New England Patriots
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