Predicting the roles of Steelers off-ball linebackers in 2022

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack (51) participates in organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack (51) participates in organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some changes at the linebacker position during the 2022 offseason. Here’s what the LB roles could look like this year.

Things did not go as planned on either side of the ball for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2021 season. Miraculously, Mike Tomlin’s team was still able to squeak into the playoffs (though they were quickly humiliated by the Kansas City Chiefs).

Several positional groups really proved to be weaknesses last year. The interior defensive line was bulldozed too often without players like Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu while the offensive line was in shambles all season.

One position that caused us to pull out our hair last year was Pittsburgh’s off-ball linebacker. Fans had high hopes for the combination of a healthy Devin Bush and the newly acquired Joe Shobert. However, these players proved to be nothing more than popular names.

Throughout the season, Bush and Schobert struggled in run defense and were torched in the passing game. The results seemed just as bad when Robert Spillane would substitute into the game.

Now a year removed from a dismal showing the Steelers off-ball linebackers would love to forget, the group has some new faces this time around and they will be hoping for much better results this time around. But what sort of roles can we expect from the linebackers this year?

Predicting Steelers linebacker roles in 2022

Schobert was an easy-cut candidate early in the offseason. With the money they saved upon his release, the Steelers quickly turned around and signed another former Jacksonville linebacker who was recently cut: Myles Jack.

Jack was a former second-round pick who had some solid seasons for the Jaguars but was coming off a down year in 2021. Just like Bush, Jack struggled all-around last season and is hoping for better results this time around.

Bush and Jack are penciled in as starters, I can’t see that changing unless something drastic happens during the season. Though he missed most of the 2020 season with a torn ACL, Bush has played almost exclusively in the ‘Mack’ LB role for the Steelers. This is the position that requires more versatility and the team typically puts their better pass defender in this role.

That means that Jack would take on Schobert’s old role as the ‘Buck’ linebacker — a role that before 2021 was occupied by Vince Williams. The ‘Buck’ typically plays closer to the line of scrimmage and specializes in coming downhill. This doesn’t mean that Jack will be used exclusively like Williams was during his tenure in Pittsburgh, and the team could alter his role a bit.

Something that’s interesting to note is that both Devin Bush and Myles Jack had the ‘green dot’ taken away from them last season. For those who are unfamiliar, each NFL team is allowed to have one defensive player with the ‘green dot’ on their helmet to signal that they can receive plays from the sideline.

The Steelers wanted to take some weight off Bush’s plate with the removal of the green dot, but it’s interesting that Jack would have his removed early in his sixth NFL season.

After Pittsburgh’s top two linebackers, Robert Spillane is likely to resume his role as the first rotational LB off the bench. Spillane probably won’t be used consistently unless there’s an injury to Jack or Bush, but he can spell these two snaps if need be.

Behind them, the Steelers have a number of young linebackers fighting for position who are unlikely to see much of the field this year. This includes Marcus Allen, Ulysees Gilbert, Buddy Johnson, and rookie Mark Robinson.

After years of watching Allen and Gilbert underachieve, I’m hopeful that one of Johnson or Robinson will show some promise as a LB the team can count on to be part of the rotation in the near future.

I would caution against having too high of expectations for the Steelers off-ball linebackers in 2022. We will be seeing a heavy dose of Devin Bush and Myles Jack this year, but both players are coming off seasons in which they graded out among the worst in the NFL at their position. Let’s hope they can bounce back.

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