4 free agent defensive tackles the Steelers should call right away

Dontari Poe

Dontari Poe was less than spectacular on a dismal Dallas Cowboys defense this year prior to his release after Week 7. But to his credit, he has been the most double-teamed player in the NFL this year, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. That has to count for something.

On the Steelers, I can assure you he will not be. Wedged between some All-Pro level talent in Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward, Poe would have the benefit of routinely facing single-teams. Because of this, he should be able to stack and shed with ease and do what we have seen him do in the past – help shut down the rushing attack.

Though Poe hasn’t necessarily been a dominant player against the run in his career, he is a rare breed of defensive tackle. At 6’3” and 346 pounds, Poe is a mammoth of a man in the middle and should be able to impose his will on much smaller NFL centers. Remarkably, he ran a 4.98 40-yard dash and benched pressed 225 pounds 44 times at the NFL Combine back in 2012.

Now just 30 years old, the former two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle could revamp his career on the league’s most aggressive defense. We saw how an older player like Alualu revived his career on the Steelers. Poe could be impressive on this defense.