3 Steelers Larry Ogunjobi immediately leapfrogs on the depth chart

Steelers DT Tyson Alualu

This one is a little bit tricky because I don’t think that Larry Ogunjobi and Tyson Alualu are going to play the same exact role on defense. I do, however, believe that Ogunjobi will out snap Alualu pretty easily by the end of the season.

As soon as the move happened, ESPN moved Ogunjobi ahead of Alualu on the depth chart at nose tackle. I’m not convinced that this is a position the newcomer is going to play, as his forte is getting after the quarterback from the inside on passing downs.

Even if Alualu still gets the nod in base defense, the Steelers play much more nickel and dime than ever before, and Ogunjobi is going to prove to be the better option when it comes to creating quick pressure and knifing into the backfield.

At 35 years old and coming off a season-ending ankle injury, we can’t expect Alualu to be the same football player he was a few years ago. Father time is catching up with him, and he’s not going to have the same explosiveness he did back then. I think it will be pretty evident early on that Ogunjobi has leapfrogged Alualu in terms of playing time.