The Vikings officially announced the signings of offensive lineman Jesse Davis, cornerback Nate Hairston, and cornerback Tye Smith on Monday. Davis and Hairston are external free agents whose visits were reported on Monday morning, while Smith is an internal free agent the Vikings are bringing back.
It's a one-year, $3 million deal for Davis, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. That comes with a $1.25 million base salary, a $1.5 million signing bonus, and $250K in roster/workout bonuses. The money, and Davis's experience, make him the leading candidate to start at right guard for the Vikings this season — for now.
Undrafted out of Idaho in 2015, Davis spent time as a training camp/practice squad player with the Seahawks and Broncos before latching on with the Dolphins. He's started 72 games over the last five years in Miami, seeing time at every spot except for center. The majority of Davis's playing time has come at right tackle and right guard, but he's played both spots on the left side as well. With the LT, LG, and RT spots already secured in Minnesota, his path to a potential starting role would be at right guard.
Davis has received mediocre PFF grades throughout his career as a starter, but it's worth noting that his two highest-graded seasons came when he was primarily playing guard, not tackle. In 2018, he spent the entire season as Miami's starting RG and posted a good 69.3 pass-blocking grade. In 2020, Davis played mostly RG and had the highest overall grade (62.6) of his career. Davis worked with new Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper in 2017 and '18 when Kuper was the assistant OL coach in Miami.
Standing 6'6" and weighing 318 pounds, Davis has good size and athleticism. He's never been much more than a decent starting option, but that could still be helpful for the Vikings. Davis is experienced, knows Kuper well, and can play multiple positions. He turns 31 in September and has been a captain for Miami in each of the last two years.
Davis became a scapegoat who took a ton of heat from Dolphins fans last season for his performance. However, he was playing out of position at right tackle and was apparently dealing with some knee issues throughout the year. He's better suited to play guard and should at least have a higher floor than the likes of Pat Elflein, Dakota Dozier, Dru Samia, and Oli Udoh. A training camp competition between Jesse Davis, Wyatt Davis, Austin Schlottmann, and a rookie should theoretically produce a capable starter at right guard.
Hairston, who turns 28 this summer, is a 2017 fifth-round pick who has bounced around the league. He's had stints with the Colts, Jets, Ravens, and Broncos. A 6-foot, 185-pound corner, Hairston has played in 59 games (18 starts) with 2 interceptions, 13 passes defended, and 104 tackles in five years. He has average athleticism for the position.
In his first three NFL seasons, Hairston started a total of 17 games and played at least 390 snaps each year. The Temple product generally graded better in run defense and tackling than he did in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Hairston spent much of 2020 on the Ravens' practice squad, but got an opportunity to see the field again last year in Denver. Working with new Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, he graded well in limited defensive action (148 snaps) and saw a ton of time on special teams.
For his career, Hairston's snaps are split pretty evenly between the slot and the outside. He figures to compete with Chandon Sullivan for the starting slot job while adding depth as a versatile player and special teamer who knows Donatell's scheme.
Smith is a journeyman veteran who spent last season on the Vikings' practice squad. He appeared in five games, mostly on special teams, and saw 17 defensive snaps in Week 17 against the Packers. Smith, who turns 29 this offseason, has seven career starts to his name and has graded well in limited action on defense. He's a depth addition who faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster out of camp.
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