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90 In 30: Steelers 2022 Training Camp Preview Series: Carlos Davis, Khalil Davis, Jake Dixon

By Dave Bryan

Posted on June 15, 2022 at 10:15 am

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 offseason practices concluded last week and next up for the team is their annual training camp, which should get underway in the latter part of July at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Ahead of Steelers training camp getting underway, we will preview the team’s offseason roster three players at a time for you as part of a 30-post series. This Steelers roster preview, which includes outlooks for each player, will be done alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow along with.

The next three players we will preview ahead of Steelers training camp are Carlos Davis, Khalil Davis, and Jake Dixon.

DT Carlos Davis: A seventh round draft pick of the Steelers in 2020, Carlos Davis, a Nebraska product, played just 54 total defensive snaps as a rookie. While he made the Steelers 2021 53-man roster initially, an early season knee injury quickly sidelined him. That knee injury resulted in him ultimately landing on the Steelers Reserve/Injured list several weeks later. He did not return from the list until Week 13. After being inactive for his first two games back on the active 53-man roster, Carlos Davis logged minimal playing time in three of the Steelers final four regular season games. He totaled just 50 defensive snaps played in 2022 on his way to registering just five total tackles with one resulting in lost yardage.

Outlook: This summer will be a key one for Carlos Davis, who figures to be outside the 53-man roster bubble when training camp gets underway in late July. The Steelers have several players ahead of Carlos Davis on the defensive lineman depth chart so a lot would need to happen for him to be kept as one of six or seven defensive linemen. More than likely, Carlos Davis will be battling for a practice squad spot throughout training camp and the preseason. He does have limited game experience and two years on the roster so that should help his practice squad cause. That limited playing time is only a little more than 100 defensive snaps, however, so he certainly is far from being a lock to remain in Pittsburgh once Week 1 of the regular season rolls around

DT Khalil Davis: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers originally drafted Khalil Davis out of Nebraska in 2020 and in the sixth round. As a rookie in 2020, he appeared in two games with the Buccaneers and compiled two tackles. He was a member of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV championship team but only logged 57 total defensive snaps as a rookie and that includes playoff games. The Buccaneers waived Khalil Davis in October of 2021 after he was inactive for every game up until that point. He wound up being claimed by the Indianapolis Colts for a short span and logged just 6 total defensive snaps in one game for them. The Steelers then signed him to their practice squad in early November and he remained on that unit the rest of the season. He is the twin brother of Carlos Davis.

Outlook: Just like his twin brother, Khalil Davis is far from a lock to make the 53-man roster come Week 1 of the 2022 regular season. A lot would need to happen ahead of him on the defensive line depth chart. The Steelers already seem set with two defensive tackle-types in Tyson Alualu as two of the six or seven total defensive linemen they’re likely to keep on the 53-man roster. Realistically and baring injuries, Khalil Davis will be battling this summer for a practice squad spot to start the 2022 regular season. Quite honestly, it could come down to him or his twin brother for one of those spots.

T Jake Dixon: A Duquesne product and Pittsburgh native, Dixon was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent earlier in the offseason. He was given a $12,000 signing bonus as part of his three-year deal. At his 2022 pro day, Dixon measured in at 6051, 310-pounds with 32 1/8-inch arms. He ran a 5.21-second 40-yard dash and did 34 reps on the bench, per reports. Dixon was originally a tight end at Duquesne and moved to tackle ahead of the 2021 season. He started 15 games at left tackle in his final two college seasons.

Outlook: Dixon will have an extremely hard time making the Steelers 53-man roster this summer as he is buried on the team’s depth chart. It will be interesting to see if he gets work at both tackle spots during training camp and the preseason in an effort to show his position flexibility. In reality, Dixon will likely be competing for a spot on the Steelers practice squad this summer. If he manages to accomplish that feat, the Steelers will then look to see if they can develop him throughout the 2022 season.