Predicting Steelers starting lineup to start the 2020 NFL season
By Tommy Jaggi
Starting defense
Defensive tackle (Nose/1-tech): Tyson Alualu
With Javon Hargrave gone and nobody brought in specifically to take his place, I think Alualu will be the guy to kick inside on base defenses. He will also be used on occasion as a 1-technique on passing downs.
Defensive line (5-tech/1-tech): Cam Heyward
Heyward’s role shouldn’t change with the loss of Hargrave. He will be a starting defensive lineman for the Steelers who will line up as a 5-technique on base 3-4 fronts and kick inside to 1-tech in nickel and dime formations.
Defensive line (5-tech/1-tech): Stephon Tuitt
Tuitt’s role is much of the same as Heyward’s, and in some ways, they are mirror images of each other. Both players will earn a lot of snaps on the defensive line in 2020.
Left edge defender: T.J. Watt
Edge defender is the universal term for what T.J. Watt does. And he does it very well.
Right edge defender: Bud Dupree
Dupree is the ‘Robin’ to T.J. Watt’s ‘Batman’. He will likely only come out of the game when he needs a breather.