6 late round Steelers who will make an impact in the 2021 season

Carlos Davis

While Carlos Davis didn’t play significant snaps during his rookie year, the ones he did showed some promise as a potential nose tackle replacement for Tyson Alualu down the road. Davis had a slow start to his Steelers career, starting off the season as a healthy scratch. As injuries piled up though, he eventually earned a helmet and saw the field. He held his own and regularly got a push when trying to stop the run.

Now, assuming the elderly Alualu maintains his role as starting nose tackle, Davis’s playing time will be limited. That said, expect to see a snap increase for the second-year player as he will likely be the first nose tackle backup off the bench. While his only other competition at nose tackle (Isaiah Buggs) does have an extra year of experience, the Steelers clearly favored Buggs down the stretch.

While the depth chart battle for the reserve defensive lineman will be tight, Davis has a clear-cut role as the backup to Alualu. This should result in a healthy snap count anywhere between 150-200 snaps assuming injuries don’t force him onto the field more than that. Long-term, another strong showing this season could put him in line to start once Alualu is gone. Given his age, that could be as early as next season, meaning that Davis could be auditioning for a starting job with his increase in snaps this season.