Predicting the early roster sleepers for the 2020 Steelers
By Andrew Falce
Josiah Coatney
While the Steelers had a solid offseason on paper, they failed to add a good NT to compete with the now incumbent McCullers. While the Steelers did draft Carlos Davis in the 7th round, UDFA Josiah Coatney seems like a more complete player as an NT. While Davis flashed a lot on tape, he also seemingly disappeared just as much. With Coatney, you are getting a similar player every time he is on the field.
While not a dominant pass rusher, Coatney has some inside skill to get after the QB and is a proven run defender. His ceiling isn’t huge, as he will never be more than a run-stuffer with some small upside as a pass rusher. That said, I see a little Steve McLendon in his game, an all-around NT who would be a solid starter down the road.
Like Walker, he still has a hill to climb to make the roster. His rookie year may be best spent on going on and off of the practice squad as a rotational player. That said, if he can find a way to take over for McCullers at some point, he seems like a better player on the inside. Only time will tell, but Coatney should already be a camp favorite.