Considering the Steelers’ reliance on the next-man-up mentality, these five backups could play more snaps than many are expecting in 2021.
Seemingly since Mike Tomlin took over as the coach for the Steelers, he has presented the idea that the team relies on a next-man-up style of roster. Instead of pricy free agents and trade acquisitions, the team will try to draft and develop its players instead. Likewise, when an injury or departure occurs, the team will look in-house before going with someone not currently on the roster. This can lead to some unexpected backups playing far more than most would expect one to play. Looking at the roster as it stands right now, here are the five Steelers backups that figure to play more snaps than expected.
Steelers Ray-Ray McCloud
Ray-Ray McCloud was a breath of fresh air for the Steelers last season. The former Clemson gadget player and return specialist stabilized the return game for the first time in forever, and now entering his second camp with the team he figures to try and make more of an impact on offense. The team tried to use him as a Ryan Switzer clone last season, and while the results weren’t great, he did end up playing 15 percent of the offensive snaps.
That number could easily go up next season though as Matt Canada takes the reigns as offensive coordinator. He relies heavily on sweeps and jet motions, and frankly those styles of play fall right into McCloud’s wheelhouse. While McCloud won’t have his offensive playing time spike by any means, it could certainly double if he proves effective as the hybrid receiver/running back that Canada likes to utilize in this role. As well, if Anthony McFarland doesn’t take the next step and take some of those snaps, even more could go McCloud’s way. While he will likely retain his role as the primary returner, don’t be surprised if he sees more offensive snaps than last season.
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.
Steelers Antoine Brooks Jr.
To caveat this, Antoine Brooks only saw a heavy amount of action in one game last season, but given the depth chart, as it is currently, there is a real chance he takes on more of a roll. He served as a sub-package defender during the Week 10 game against the Bengals, and he played well in limited action. Heading into this season and with the issues this team has with who will play in subpackage, Brooks should be set to take on a larger role.
What that job will be is the real question though, as the team has questions at slot corner and dime backer currently. While Brooks saw some work in the slot during his rookie season, his size and athleticism make him a better fit as a dime backer. There, he can play closer to the line of scrimmage and try to mask some of the coverage deficiencies that he has.
Unless the Steelers make a significant training camp investment in a secondary member, Brooks will be the favorite to expand his job with the team in 2021. There is certainly some projection there given his limited play last season, but he has the skill set to do well there. He can come and play closer to the line of scrimmage and work to cover tight ends over the middle of the field.
Steelers Carlos Davis
While a long shot to make the roster last season, Carlos Davis did the seemingly impossible: he overtook Daniel McCullers as the backup nose tackle. For the majority of the first half of the season, he was inactive for the defensive line, but when Tyson Alualu missed/played through an injury during weeks 7-9, Davis got his shot. The majority of his playing time came in the week eight game against the Cowboys, and he was impressive, to say the least.
With Alualu back for this season, Davis won’t make the move to starter quite yet. That said, he should be firmly entrenched as the top backup nose tackle and could see snaps during obvious running downs to rest the aging Alualu. Considering Davis only logged 5 percent of the snaps last season, expecting him to play more isn’t exactly bold. That said, with him seemingly in from of Isaiah Buggs on the depth chart, he should be in line for 10-15 percent of the defensive snaps at least.
All of that assumes the line stays relatively healthy. If Alualu gets injured again, Davis will suddenly be thrust in as the starting nose tackle. As well, Alualu could play defensive end in a pinch, so if injuries occur there, Davis could come in and allow Alualu to play on the end more. Long-term, Davis has the potential to be a starter. That won’t happen this season but expect him to make an impact as a rotational piece on the line.
Steelers James Washington
Some wouldn’t consider James Washington a backup given the success he has had on the field and the talent he possesses. The issue is, despite his solid play he is the clear fourth option at receiver on a depth chart full of talent. With Chase Claypool likely to take on the Z position at receiver from the start this year, Washington will likely see his overall snaps decline from the 44 percent benchmark he hit last season.
That said, Washington will still ultimately see the field in some capacity in 2021. He has the talent to be a starter on most teams and the dependability that Ben Roethlisberger likes in a target. As well, Canada’s new system will likely focus on using all four of the Steelers receivers in some capacity. While his overall playtime may go down slightly, he should still garner quite a few snaps even as a backup.
This is in no way a knock on Washington either. The former second-round pick hasn’t become a perennial starter, but he has become a solid, physical deep option that the team can rely on if he is needed. While the Steelers will build their passing game around their top three options, Washington will still see his share of targets. His play may be down from last season, but of all the backups on the team, he should see the most snaps.
The Steelers have a strong history of playing backups both as rotational pieces and as the proverbial next-man-up options in case of injury. With the roster as it is, these five backups figure to play the most in 2021. A good backup can be the difference between a win and a loss, so expect these five players to impact the final outcome of the Steelers 2021 season.