The NFL Draft is officially over and attention will shift to OTAs and off-season camps. The 90-man roster is set and teams will be looking at their depth chart for every position entering training camp. This series will examine who has the inside chances to be higher on the depth chart come August. For this edition, we will look at outside linebackers.
Pittsburgh Steelers Outside Linebacker Depth Chart Projections
1. Bud Dupree
Bud Dupree emerged as an elite pass-rusher last season, recording 4.5 sacks in only seven games after only recording four in his entire rookie season. Dupree will likely be the Pittsburgh Steelers main pass-rusher for the foreseeable future. At only 24 years of age, Dupree still has a lot of football left in him and still has a lot of room to continue to grow and improve as a player.
2. James Harrison
James Harrison has been the cornerstone of the Steelers defense since he began starting at outside linebacker. Released by the Baltimore Ravens and the Steelers before finally making it onto the Steelers active roster, Harrison has made it clear that he doesn’t plan on losing his spot until he decides to retire. Harrison posts workout videos on social media that show his amazing strength and athleticism even later in his career. While Harrison is likely on his way out of the NFL, he’ll be starting for the black and gold until that day comes.
3. T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt was of course the Steelers first round draft pick this year and is expected to make an immediate impact on defense. Watt will likely split time with Harrison at the right outside linebacker position with Dupree starting on the left side. Watt could end up seeing more snaps than Harrison, but Harrison will still be the starter and the main pass-rusher until Watt learns the system better and improves his own pass-rushing ability.
4. Arthur Moats
Arthur Moats could possibly be the most underrated player on the Steelers defense. Filling in and starting whenever he is needed, Moats has shown to be a dependable backup. Since joining the team in 2014, Moats has filled in and started whenever he’s been needed. In 2014, Moats started nine games, ten games in 2015, and five games in 2016. At 29 years of age, Moats is starting to decline a bit, but he’ll still be a crucial part of the Steelers defense and will likely be a leader on special teams as well.
5. Anthony Chickillo
Anthony Chickillo is like Moats in that he’s a solid, dependable backup, but he doesn’t really have the talent to be a full-time starter. Also like Moats, Chickillo will likely be a leader and top performer on special teams, but he probably won’t see a lot of playing time on defense unless there are some unfortunate injuries.
6. Keion Adams
Keion Adams was drafted this year in the seventh round and has already been performing well at rookie camp and OTAs. Although he’s small for the NFL, Adams will have plenty of time to get bigger and learn the system. He’ll be able to learn behind Harrison until he finally decides to retire, and he’ll likely be a solid backup in the future. Much like Moats is a dependable backup to Harrison or Dupree, Adams will likely be a dependable backup for Watt and Dupree in the future.
7. Kevin Anderson
Kevin Anderson was signed as a rookie free agent last season by the San Francisco 49ers before being released and signed by the Steelers. He was placed on injured reserve after suffering an injury and didn’t play at all in his rookie season. Anderson is a relative unknown and has a great opportunity to surprise some people and make the active roster. Anderson and Adams will likely be battling for the final spot on the active roster.
