Stephon Tuitt officially retired and now the Steelers will be figuring out who will replace him.
Stephon Tuitt was a rising star in the NFL with great production during his last season playing for the Steelers. Mental health and focus on family are very important and that is why this star player decided to retire at the young age of 29 years old. He left on his own terms and that is something that many NFL players do not get a chance to do.
He now leaves a hole in this defensive front that struggled to replace him in 2021. The subtraction of Tuitt was already a tough hill to climb, but then injuries occurred. Depth players were raised to starting spots and others behind them struggled to play above the line.
The run defense severely struggled because of this and that led to one of the worst in the NFL last year. There are returning players from injury and some other younger guys that should be able to lessen the blow more than last season. It is going to be a task that will show some warts at times this year, but this is not a death sentence for the club.
Isaiahh Loudermilk needs to make a leap in year two with the Steelers
Isaiahh Loudermilk is one of the players that will be under the watchful eye of the Steelers coaching staff during the pre-season. They are expecting a lot from this second-year player out of Wisconsin. They invested a fifth-round pick, by trading up, in the 2021 draft because they believe this player can become a starter.
He has worked hard during the offseason and added more weight to a level that Pittsburgh likes their linemen to play at. Loudermilk was one of the best defenders against the run during his rookie season, but he needs to work on his pass rush abilities. If he can figure that out, then he could be a surprise starter at some point this season.
Chris Wormley has some good qualities to his game for a shot at the vacancy
Chris Wormley took the brunt of the opportunity to fill in for Tuitt’s vacancy last season, especially after Tyson Alualu got injured. He was able to handle the adversity well after spending most of his career in a backup role. He was able to show some nice abilities in the pass-rushing department.
He blew past his career highs in sacks and pressures, which was nice to see. The biggest issue with his game is the lack of consistency in his defense against the run. He continues to struggle with that part of his game and that will likely lead to him not getting a full-time starting job with the Steelers.
The pass rush skills that he showed did give him a chance to win the spot outright or at least play a major role on this defensive line. He needs to show that he can win against the run or otherwise he will only be a passing-down defensive end for Pittsburgh. That is not a bad gig, but it will allow for more snaps to go to other guys like Alualu or Isaiahh Loudermilk.
It is going to be an interesting competition to watch in training camp, but this veteran will remain high on the black and gold’s depth chart. They have some quality players and Wormley is one of the best pass rushers for the front. He brings that unique quality with him that makes him stand out.
DeMarvin Leal will need to grow into a starting role for the Steelers
DeMarvin Leal was the Steelers third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Many projected him to go at some point in round two, but he slipped all the way to the late portions of day two of the event. He is a talented prospect that could develop into a Stephon Tuitt kind of player.
The best thing that this rookie could have done was go back to college for another season of learning. He decided to go pro and that is not the worst thing, he just needs some more teaching at the next level. The Steelers have one of the best defensive line coaches in the NFL and that should lead to positive results for this player.
It will probably take him some time to get used to the NFL level of play, but he will come along at some point. Leal should be contributing to a role for this front unit during the midpoint of the schedule and beyond. He has all the talent in the world, but he just needs to continue his growth going forward.
He showed off some solid moves in his pass-rushing arsenal during his time at Texas A&M. The biggest concern with this player is making sure his game is rounded out and adding some more weight on. He has a big enough frame and skillset to accomplish these tasks and it should play out in front of our eyes in 2022.
Tyson Alualu will have to start at different positions to help replace Tuitt
Tyson Alualu is coming off a season-ending injury that cut his 2021 short. That left the Steelers without a replacement for Tuitt, and a loss of their starting nose tackle as well. Depth became faint and they struggled to find a concoction that worked for the defense during their grueling schedule last year.
This veteran is back and ready to come back to form with new responsibilities for the club. He will be the starting nose tackle again but will also fill in where Tuitt played when the need for a nose tackle is not present. He will be playing a lot this season and should be able to quench the woes that the defense had against the run last year.
He is one of the better defensive linemen that Pittsburgh has to with the ability to stop the run. Alualu has enjoyed a resurgence late in his career ever since joining the team after many struggling seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He will look to defeat father time again with a comeback from injury and help this club win ball games.
The defensive end spot that was left vacant seems like it will be handled by committee depending on what kind of game situation they are in. Alualu will be the main player that will take most of the snaps this year as he is reliable in all phases of the game. Expect the younger guys to start filtering into more as the season goes further.
The Steelers will have some time to evaluate how they will replace Stephon Tuitt. They were without him last season and it seems like a joint effort might be the best course of action.