The last time that we took a look back at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster in review, it was weeks before the 2020 NFL Draft took place. It would be safe to say that quite a bit has changed since then, and the changes apply to almost every position on the roster, some major changes, some minor.
We are closing in on the opening of the Steelers’ several weeks of training camp, this time not at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, so it would be a good time to pause and take stock of where the team stands at each position as we head into the most critical process of the offseason.
Position: Defensive Tackle
Total Positional Figure: 4
Additions: 1
Deletions: 0
Players Retained:
Daniel McCullers: With Javon Hargrave gone, Daniel McCullers is the experienced nose tackle on the roster, and he has all of about 600 career snaps over six years. Will he take hold of the primary nose tackle job this year…and all of the 300-450 maximum snaps that might go along with it?
Tyson Alualu: The Steelers have already made it very clear that Alualu is in the conversation at nose tackle this year. Mike Tomlin even went so far as to say that he will have the first snaps at the position in training camp. The question is if he will be the primary nose tackle.
Isaiah Buggs: I’m really only including Buggs here because the Steelers don’t have anybody else. Early in the offseason, Buggs said that the Steelers told him to keep his weight down, strongly suggesting that they want him to continue focusing on defensive end, but plans can have changed.
Players Added:
Carlos Davis: Davis is the only addition they have made here all year. A seventh-round pick out of Nebraska, he will have a hard time even making the roster, helped none at all by the absence of an actual offseason.
Players Lost: N/A
Notes and Camp Outlook:
This should be an interesting camp, if we even get a chance to see anything—or rather, if the players even get a chance to do anything. There won’t be many padded practices, and there may not even be any 11-on-11 drills. There may not be a preseason.
But they will have to have something to go by, and whatever that is, McCullers will almost surely be a part of it. Training camp will determine if he will be the focal point, if Alualu will be. Training camp will also tell us whether or not Buggs is in that conversation.
And obviously we should hopefully learn a little something about the rookie, Davis. He is a good athlete, and strong, with some knowledge of hand usage, but his production on tape is limited. There’s a reason he was available late, and that his twin brother was drafted ahead of him.
