5 Steelers that must see more playing time for rest of 2021

Steelers EDGE Taco Charlton

The Steelers saw the Melvin Ingram era come to a quick and abrupt end, as the veteran forced his way off the team. This left the edge depth in question, as Ingram was signed to be the first player off the bench. Luckily, the team had signed Taco Charlton to their practice squad early in the season, and he has proven to be a solid depth player to this point.

While he hasn’t made much of an impact for the team, he has used his massive frame to hold the edge on running plays and has powered his linemen back into the opposing quarterback for pressure. It hasn’t reflected much in his stats, but he has done everything you could want out of a backup edge rusher. A few more snaps a game would be beneficial for him.

Frankly, the real reason Charlton should see more playing time isn’t due to him being such a force that he has to see the field. A few extra plays off for Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt will help preserve them for the remainder of the season. Assuming Watt isn’t lost for the season, Charlton still needs additional snaps as a backup. Charlton has proven that he can hold his own, so getting some extra rest for the starters makes a lot of sense for the defense.