5 Steelers backups that will play the most snaps during 2021

Steelers Buddy Johnson

While not a name popularly mocked to the Steelers heading into the draft, Buddy Johnson certainly makes a lot of sense for the team looking back on it. With Devin Bush set to reprise his job as the every-down starter, there will be a scramble amongst the rest of the roster in terms of finding a role. While Vince Williams and Robert Spillane will likely share the starting job at the start of the season, don’t be surprised to see Johnson getting some burn on the field towards the end of the year.

Johnson comes into the league with an intriguing athletic profile. He was one of the best testing off-the-ball linebackers in this draft, and while his run defense is good, his coverage skills need to be worked on. This mostly explains why he was a day three pick. That said, if he can develop some coverage skills, he could be a valuable asset. At worst, he could take on Williams’s role as a two-down style linebacker with overall better athleticism.

What could really make Johnson see the field early though is just how beat up this position got last year. At one point, the Steelers were relying on Marcus Allen to start games (he was initially the last linebacker on the depth chart). While projecting injuries is hard to do, don’t be surprised if an injury aids in getting Johnson on the field. If he does well when called upon, he may not have to give up the job once the team gets healthier either.