5 potential new starters for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020
By Tommy Jaggi
LB Ulysees Gilbert
This one may surprise you a bit, but I think it’s very likely that Ulysees Gilbert could end up playing more snaps this year than starting linebacker, Vince Williams. Though he was listed as a starter for 8 games last season, Williams ended up playing just 37 percent of defensive snaps in 2019, according to Pro Football Reference.
Meanwhile, Mark Barron – who was cut this offseason by the Steelers – played 69 percent of defensive snaps last year despite missing a game. While we don’t know exactly what Pittsburgh’s plan is in nickel formations, we can assume that Gilbert would be the guy that will take on a majority of Barron’s old role as a subpackage linebacker.
Today’s NFL is a pass-happy league, and Gilbert excelled in coverage in his first preseason. The former 6th round draft choice could essentially become a starter for the Steelers this season.
Next. 3 quarterbacks who could replace Ben Roethlisberger in the next three years. dark
We don’t know for sure if all five of these players will hear their name called to the starting lineup this season, but it’s looking like that could be the case. Hopefully, they perform well when asked to step up into a bigger role this season.