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4 biggest holes on the Steelers roster heading into the 2020 season

By Beau McCauley

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Mike Hilton #28, Bud Dupree #48, Dan McCullers #93 and Benny Snell Jr. #24 of the Pittsburgh Steelers run onto the field for the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals 23-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Mike Hilton #28, Bud Dupree #48, Dan McCullers #93 and Benny Snell Jr. #24 of the Pittsburgh Steelers run onto the field for the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals 23-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Daniel McCullers Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Daniel McCullers Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Nose Tackle

The biggest departure of the offseason was Javon Hargrave – without a doubt. His presence inside is going to be tough to replace.

Tyson Alualu is going to be leaned on to fill that void left by the Hargrave exit. Don’t get me wrong here, things could be worse. The role of the nose tackle is just not going to fall to just one guy in 2019. At 33, the risk of injury gets worse as he is going to see the most snaps he has as a Steeler.

Dan McCullers, Isaiah Buggs, and Carlos Davis are likely going to be fighting for extra reps. That makes three guys that will be underwhelming in terms of production.

Carlos Davis was a solid inside player at Nebraska. He played with great strength and a non-stop motor for his size. He should have a good chance to step in and get snaps to see what he is capable of as a rookie, but he is still a late-round long shot to make the roster.

The Steelers have been waiting for McCullers to break out of his shell. He flashes his ability in practice, throwing his teammates around when he gets a fire lit under him. By this point, it is just hard to believe he can take that step to be a contributor.

Buggs worked hard but didn’t separate himself on the field in 2019. He just does not possess the athletic traits to be a versatile, difference maker like Hargrave.

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