Training camp is set to open soon, and Pittsburgh Steelers fans can begin washing the bad taste of that playoff debacle against the Jacksonville Jaguars out of their mouths.
After surrendering forty-five points to the Jags, the defense has come under scrutiny this off- season, leaving fans wondering what to expect in 2018.
The Steelers finished fifth in total defense in 2017. They finished first in sacks with fifty-six and surrendered only 19.3 points per game. Their pass defense was the fifth best. The rush defense finished tenth. However, they were middle of the pack in terms of turnovers. Creating more takeaways is the most obvious area of improvement if the team is going to end its Super Bowl drought.
Despite the gaudy statistics, where is this defense at? In my opinion, this is no longer the elite unit of years past. The secondary, once a top group is unsettled and far from great. The linebacking corps, once the pride of the team, is in transition. The most reliable unit is the starting line, which will be the first unit we focus on.
Starters
- Cam Heyward
- Javon Hargrave
- Stephon Tuitt
One of the best starting trios in the league. Despite struggling early in his career, Heyward is one of the best 3-4 ends in the league. He led the team with twelve sacks, tied for eighth in the league. A standout at South Carolina State, Hargrave has transitioned well to the NFL. Now in his fifth year, Tuitt has quietly become a cornerstone of the defense.
Barring injury, this is the most solid unit of the defense.
The rest
- Tyson Alualu
- Parker Cothren
- Joshua Frazier
- Greg Gilmore
- Lavon Hooks
- Darnell Leslie
- Daniel McCullers
- Casey Sayles
- Kendal Vickers
- LT Walton.
The team figures to carry six lineman. Alualu can play anywhere along the line, as can Walton, who provided two sacks off the bench. With those two spots seemingly filled that leaves eight players vying for one spot. McCullers, once thought of as a potential starter has been a bust, therefore should be gone. Alabama product Frazier, the seventh round pick has the inside track to replace him.
Sayles had a cup of coffee with the Rams, and Hooks has spent some time on the practice squad. If the Mississippi product can’t secure a roster spot this time, I don’t see the team stashing him for another year. Sayles, from Ohio, is probably not much more than a camp body.
Cothren and Gilmore, a pair of undrafted rookies can play the interior, should Frazier fail to impress. I saw all of Cothren’s games at Penn State, and he will endear himself to fans with his tenacity and hustle. The former Nittany Lion collected 4.5 sacks during his career to go along with 11 tackles for loss and 77 sacks.
Gilmore, from LSU collected ten sacks as well as thirteen tackles for loss during his time in Baton Rouge. After two years at end, he moved inside for his final two years, showing nice versatility. With a solid preseason, this could earn him a shot at a backup role or a spot on the practice squad.
Cothren will be hard to cut, but may not possess the athleticism Gilmore or Frazier both have. With only ten spots on the practice squad, it’s hard to see them using 2-3 for defensive lineman.
Leslie, from Monmouth University had a nice career as hybrid DE/OLB but faces an uphill battle, as does Vickers from Tennessee. Vickers also played inside for the Vols, but faces a logjam at the position in Pittsburgh.
Next: 3 Cinderella stories to watch for in training camp
Final Outlook
Heyward, Hargrave, Tuitt, Alualu, Walton and Frazier will probably be the six linemen on the opening day roster for the Steelers. Gilmore could slide in place of Frazier, but one of them will land on the practice squad. Cothren will be a tough cut, and will make someone’s practice squad.