Steelers: Nose Tackle Must Be Addressed in NFL Draft

Following the departure of Steve McLendon, nose tackle has become a major question mark for the Steelers heading into the 2016 season.

Cornerbacks are an issue that, by now, every Steelers fan is all too familiar with. The team will likely be searching for a future shutdown corner in the upcoming NFL Draft, but another significant problem on defense has been largely ignored up to this point: nose tackle.

In the 3-4 defense, a quality nose tackle is an unquestioned difference maker. A big man who can eat up space and draw double-team blocks opens up avenues for other pass rushers and keeps the opponent’s run game under control. While their stats typically aren’t much to look at, nose tackles play a pivotal role in the execution of a defense.

The Steelers lost a reliable piece of the defensive puzzle when nose tackle Steve McLendon signed with the New York Jets in free agency.

As a result, the Steelers are limited at the position. Daniel McCullers, a mountain of a man and a former sixth-round pick from 2014, is currently projected to be the starter. While McCullers’ gargantuan size (6’7″, 350 lbs.) is certainly enticing, his lack of experience can’t just be shrugged off. In two seasons with the Steelers, McCullers has only started a single game.

The Steelers did add depth to the defensive front with the acquisition of Ricardo Mathews, formerly of the San Diego Chargers. Mathews has experience at both defensive end and defensive tackle. At 6’5″ and 300 lbs., he could serve as a fill-in for both positions. Mathews has received positive reviews from coaches as well – per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Chargers coaches described Mathews as a “wrecking ball”.

That said, Mathews is no superstar. He’s started only 15 games in his six-year career, notching four sacks and 59 solo tackles; in 2015, Mathews recorded one sack. While he will add an important layer of depth to the Steelers defensive line, don’t count on Mathews stealing a starting job.

2015 sixth-rounder Leterrius Walton is also a candidate for more snaps along the defensive line. Similar to Mathews, Walton has played both defensive end and tackle and could take snaps at both positions this season. Still, the primary issue is… you guessed it… a lack of experience. Aside from sparse defensive and special teams snaps, Walton was invisible a season ago.

So, if the Steelers face a lack of certainty at nose tackle – with experience as the #1 issue – why would they look to the NFL Draft to help the problem? The answer is two-fold: added depth and a vision for the future.

Pittsburgh’s defensive line, both at nose tackle and defensive end, is shallow on depth. Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt have unquestionably secured their spots as starting ends, and they’re set to be quite the tandem for years to come. However, in order to maximize their effectiveness, a reliable backup rotation needs to be established. Mathews and Walton are likely candidates here, but that doesn’t excuse the Steelers from improving the d-line in the draft.

This year’s draft features a number of high-ranking prospects at nose tackle. A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed (Alabama), Vernon Butler (Louisiana Tech), Kenny Clark (UCLA) and Andrew Billings (Baylor) headline Walter Football’s list of the nation’s top nose tackles, all of whom are projected to be taken in the early rounds.

There’s no doubt that the secondary should remain the Steelers’ primary focus in the 2016 draft, but spending a pick on a nose tackle is a move that the team needs to make. Maybe the rookie leaps past McCullers for the starting job. Maybe he and McCullers split snaps. Maybe he serves as rotational depth along the defensive line. No matter the outcome, though, the Steelers will be in a better position on defense with a fresh nose tackle.

In a year filled with talent at the position, Pittsburgh would be foolish not to spend at least one pick on a big man in the middle.

Stats used from Pro Football Reference.