One Steelers sleeper for every position for 2021 camp

Steelers Carlos Davis

Once again, Carlos Davis isn’t your traditional camp sleeper. While his roster spot is far from a lock, he is the best backup nose tackle option and appears to be the favorite to occupy that role in 2021. That said, there is a chance he could do a lot more in that role than many expect, but it will require a strong camp from him in order to do it.

Luckily for him, he is a surprising athlete along the line and plays with a lot of strength. The biggest concern for him coming in as a pro was his consistency and lack of height to be a traditional defensive end. As a nose tackle though, he fits well. He wouldn’t be playing more than 40-45 percent of the snaps and typically shorter players are preferred at nose tackle as they can gain more leverage.

He won’t be penciled in as the starter, as Tyson Alualu should man that role based on his strong performance there last year. That said, if Davis flashes in camp as he should, Alualu could see more snaps as a reserve defensive end like he used to. Davis would man the nose tackle spot while Alualu could cover either end in certain packages. Again, it will take a great camp for him to receive such a role, but Davis has all the traits to make that jump this year.