Steelers depth chart: 3 positional battles that could come down to the wire

Second-string defensive tackle

Isaiah Buggs vs Carlos Davis

This is a positional battle that I’ve been interested in since the beginning of the summer. With Tyson Alualu electing to return to the Steelers on a one-year deal, there really isn’t much of a reason for Pittsburgh to keep two backup nose tackles.

Isaiah Buggs and Carlos Davis essentially offer the Steelers the same thing. They are penetrating interior defenders who will serve as backups to Alualu this year. However, I severely doubt the team will devote two roster spots for both players to stick around.

This battle has been tight all offseason as both players have impressed at times. If you recall, Buggs and Davis got really chippy with each other at one point on the sideline last year. Knowing that their jobs are on the line, we have seen some impressive play from them this preseason.

Of the two, Davis has more athletic traits and the ability to play special teams. Pittsburgh was even using him here in kick coverage thanks to his remarkable 4.82 speed. It will be interesting to see how this shapes up.

There could be a few other players who make some positional battles interesting down the stretch, but these are the biggest to keep an eye on in the next few weeks before final roster cuts.