6 young Steelers you have to keep an eye on in training camp
By Andrew Falce
Steelers Carlos Davis
Carlos Davis was a relative surprise in 2020. He beat out long-time incumbent Dan McCullers for a roster spot before eventually surpassing fellow defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs on the depth chart by the season’s end. He only played sparingly as a rookie, but in that limited time, he flashed some strong traits as a run defender. He is a candidate to make a leap in play this season and ideally better supplement current nose tackle Tyson Alualu.
No, Davis won’t ascend to starter this season unless Alualu’s play really falls off, but he could become a regular rotational player. If he sees more consistent snaps and plays well in them, he would be in a prime position to lock down the starting nose tackle job next year. It all starts with a strong camp this season though, as this defensive line group is extremely deep. Any playing time awarded to the reserves will certainly be earned, not given.
Interesting to note is that Buggs actually got listed over Davis as the primary nose tackle reserve on the Steelers’ first depth chart. I personally wouldn’t look too much into this, as this depth chart favors experience right now since little has been proven in camp so far. Assuming he moves past Buggs, Davis should prime himself for a bigger 2021. His name won’t be heavily praised on the regular in training camp, his position doesn’t yield that kind of a reaction, but watch and see what kind of an impact he can make as he hopes to lock down a top backup position.