Initially, the plan here was to separate the inside and outside linebackers for this deep dive but when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers the linebackers are largely interchangeable. The Steelers have several guys who appear to be capable of working inside and outside which seriously benefits a defense looking to get more athletic and faster.
Starters
Vince Williams
Devin Bush
T.J. Watt
Bud Dupree
Right now, in the Steelers base defense here are the four guys we expect to see on the field. The rub is the Steelers only run their base defense about 30 percent of the time. This means in the nickel one of these guys will come off the field and unfortunately, that guy is going to be Williams.
Top reserves
Anthony Chickillo
Mark Barron
We would have loved to include Ola Adeniyi in this list instead of Chickillo but unfortunately with him on the mend from knee surgery the best option Pittsburgh has to back up Dupree and Watt is still Chickillo.
Barron, on the other hand, is a player who deserves reps. He will back up Bush and Williams and could end up supplanting Williams in base if the coaches favor speed over consistency.
Six guys for two-ish spots
Tyler Matakevich
Tuzar Skipper
Ulysees Gilbert III
Ola Adeniyi
Sutton Smith
Robert Spillane
Depending on what direction the Steelers go in, these last six guys will be competing for two or three roster spots. The player to watch is Adeniyi. If he isn’t ready for the start of the season he could go on IR with a designation to return. This would allow the Steelers to keep Gilbert, Matakevich and possibly Skipper. If Adeniyi is ready for the regular season, Skipper and Smith would be prime candidates for the practice squad.
