The Steelers have started the season on the right foot, and a large part of their success is due to the surprisingly great play of these five players
While the NFL season is roughly a quarter of the way through, the Steelers were dealt the unfortunate blow of having to take their bye week early due to the Titans sudden outbreak of sick players. While a bye week this early means the Steelers only have three games played so far, there have certainly been some pleasant surprises so far for this roster. For starters, the Steelers are undefeated, and their roster looks like a capable unit all around. For a team that suffered so much in 2019, seeing such a strong early-season performance is a step in the right direction.
Now, to be fair, having only played three games makes reviewing a player tough. While some players could be out to an early hot start, others are maybe taking a little while to warm up. This is in no way an indictment of how they will be for the rest of the season. There have been plenty of early-season stars who fizzled out as the year went on.
That said, the Steelers have fielded quite a few surprises this year. While the T.J. Watts and the JuJu Smith-Schusters of the team were expected to do this, the players listed below weren’t. Sure, there may have been some hype for them, but there were just as many questions surrounding them heading into the season. All of this said, here are the five best surprise players of the Steelers 2020 season so far.
Vince Williams
Vince Williams is a Steelers persona that is hard to dislike. The hard-nosed, “smack you in the mouth” style is a throwback to more physical defenses of the early 2000s, but he has seemingly taken his play to the next level this season. While he looked like a player that had begun regressing the previous two years, the 2020 version of Williams has been shot out of a cannon, helping lead a feared run defense and rivaling some of his best personal stats.
The veteran has played 71 percent of the Steelers defensive snaps so far. Considering his affinity to stop the run and his noted struggles in coverage (he allowed a QB rating of 121.4 last year), it was surprising to see Williams playing as often as he could be considered a weak link on coverage plays. That said, Williams has become a force at pressuring the QB, almost serving as an additional lineman instead of being a more traditional roaming ILB.
His two sacks and eight tackles for a loss are incredible for only three games. Even better, you can constantly see him shooting the gap and getting into the backfield when he does blitz, showcasing his clear talent at getting after the QB. Williams has little competition for his spot as well, considering there is no real player that could steal snaps away from him. His 2020 has started with a bang, and it could easily end up being his best season as a Steeler by the end of the year.
Chase Claypool
When Chase Claypool was selected in the second round of the draft, most Steelers fans expected a slow build for him. The team already had three young and talented options ahead of him, so the likelihood that he would see significant playing time seemed unrealistic. A snap here and a snap there maybe, but far less than the 50 percent of the offensive snaps he has played so far. Better yet, he has made the most of those opportunities, snatching six receptions for 151 yards and a score.
While a decent chunk of those snaps came after Diontae Johnson left the Texans game injured, Claypool was still earning more playing time. While his straight-line speed was obvious (his 4.42 forty yard dash time was a huge reason his stock jumped), he has shown some agility and play after the catchability. If that continues to develop, Claypool can be more than a deep threat and red zone target, he could become a top threat in the NFL.
While the rest of the season needs to unfold before the Steelers can crown him as their next gem in a long line of good receivers drafted, Claypool has started the year off on the right foot. On top of his impressive offensive play, he has been one of the better special teams’ defenders, logging four total tackles so far. Special teams won’t be his calling card as his role on the offense develops, but it is nice to see him contribute so positively there. While the season is still young, Claypool is just getting started and could become an all-around threat as he develops during the season.
Tyson Alualu
The fact that Tyson Alualu is blossoming in his 11th season as a pro is nothing short of impressive. The former Jaguar was considered a bust for a long time, as the former first-rounder never developed as a pass rusher and was relegated to situational run-stuffing duty. While his play did pick up a little bit when he signed with the Steelers in 2017, he was still nothing more than a rotational backup. This year, he was asked to move to NT to help replace the departed Javon Hargrave, a tall task considering how dominant Hargrave was in that role.
Essentially from his first snap though, Alualu has been playing the best football of his career. The switch from DE to NT in the Steelers scheme isn’t an easy one, but Alualu has looked dominant in the role. His run stuffing talent helped the Steelers stuff, Saquon Barkley, in week one, and his steady push from the middle has aided the team’s pass rushers into getting more pressures. Alualu has completely shed the bust label now, as he is slowly being recognized as one of the best interior defenders in the league.
The fact he has transitioned so seamlessly is a testament to his overall talent. Being able to plug the run as an NT is the primary goal, and Alualu is winning that battle so far. As well, he has been able to collapse the pocket on some passing plays, forcing QBs into bad decisions and allowing the rushers to chase the QB down for a sack. While not a glamorous position, Alualu is keeping the NT spot alive in Pittsburgh, and his early-season play deserves a lot of respect from the league going forward.
Matt Feiler
Matt Feiler has been a pleasant surprise during the majority of his NFL career. From a UDFA to a starting RT, Feiler has developed into a quality NFL player and has beaten the odds after coming out of Bloomsburg. This season though, he was tasked with kicking inside to guard, a position that looked like a good fit, but one he had never filled in at for a long time. The position switch has proven to be a good one though, a Feiler has become a great interior option for the Steelers.
As a blocker, Feiler has picked up where he left off last year, mauling defenders and providing sturdy pass blocking. While he isn’t elite in any one category, he is well rounded everywhere, aiding in his great start to the season. Better yet, Feiler can also move well in space. While Ramon Foster was a great option for the Steelers, he was never the most mobile of players. This limited the run in a sense, as only one guard would ever pull.
With Feiler giving the Steelers more options in how they run as well as providing great protection, he has been nothing short of a welcomed surprise so far this season. No one expected him to fall on his face, but considering he was learning a new position in a limited offseason, there were some questions as to how he would transition for the Steelers. As of now, those questions have been answered, as Feiler has made the transition from losing Foster to retirement seamless.
Mike Hilton
Similar to Feiler, Mike Hilton has beaten the odds and has carved out an excellent career for a former UDFA. While the Steelers already knew what they had in Hilton, it looked like his role was going to be shared more with Cameron Sutton. To his credit, Sutton seems like the far better coverage player, as Hilton has relied more on his physicality and run-stopping to win but sacrificing the occasional big play.
This season though, Hilton has been playing like a man possessed. Easily the best member of the secondary, Hilton has been almost unstoppable on the field. He leads the team with 21 tackles as well as posting two sacks and four pressures. Considering he is a CB, those kinds of numbers are impressive, to say the least. On top of this, he has played better against the pass. While he did give up a score against the Texans, he also had a critical interception late in the game, and it was one that required quite a bit of talent for him to get.
While the Steelers expected a good season from Hilton, no one was ready for him to start the season as he has. He is playing like the top slot CB in the league and maybe one of the most feared defenders on this defense. While he took a small step back last year, he has put any doubt to rest about his overall ability. He is in the conversation of top slot defender in the NFL, and he will likely earn a big contract for his efforts during the offseason.
There was hope that the Steelers would be good this season, but it is a bit of a shock how good they have played so far. Aided by the performances of the above players, the Steelers offense and defense have guided the team to a 3-0 start. While the early bye week is a tough loss, it should in no way affect the impressive play from these five studs this year.