Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 NFL Draft Grades

Grade: B-

With the team’s final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, drafting defensive tackle Carlos Davis is more about drafting for potential than what he can do now. The reason Colbert gets a minus attached to this grade is because the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to replace nose tackle Javon Hargrave this offseason. Davis doesn’t fit the bill here for a nose tackle. But it is interesting to see what traits the Pittsburgh Steelers front office might be valuing going into the 2020 season.

The best thing you can say about Davis is he fast off the line of scrimmage. The redshirt senior has four seasons of solid play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and it will be interesting to see what, if any, role he will have on the defensive line this season.

At 6-foot-2, 313-pounds, he is a little short for an NFL defensive line. But his size makes him a solid defender at the line of scrimmage. He has great straight-line speed but not much else in the defensive tackle toolbox to indicate he can hold his own against offensive blockers in the NFL.

His production in college is hardly impressive and for a defensive tackle who played four seasons, it is worrisome how little he put up in the stats column. According to Sports Reference, he had 125 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks during his entire college career.

His biggest upside might be his versatility at the line of scrimmage. At Nebraska, he lined up at a variety of spots on the offensive line. Davis lined up everywhere from the A-Gap to outside the tackle in 2019 and has done so for most of his college career. His size and lack of disruption make the idea of him switching to edge rusher an unlikely scenario. So what would his ideal role be?

More than likely, Colbert drafted Davis as a developmental player who could potentially be a backup one day. A defensive lineman who is speedy enough to scare offensive coordinators into playing conservatively, while also having the added benefit of being able to line up anywhere on the line each snap.

The fact he is fast tells us the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line needs to focus on getting to the quarterback quicker. The average NFL offense is getting faster and faster every season that progresses. We are seeing an unprecedented level of passing plays every year that goes by. The concept of the big space-eating nose tackle on the defensive line is losing ground, as pass-rushing abilities are valued much more than run-stopping skills.

The Pittsburgh Steelers still have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, even after losing Hargrave. They helped contribute to a defensive unit that ranked fifth-best in yards allowed, averaging just 304 yards of total offense in 2019 according to NFL.com. But as the defensive line continues to age, Colbert will have to divert more draft and cap resources to a line in the next few years to replace veterans.

Taking a chance on a player with skills the NFL values is not the worst way to use a seventh-rounder. At best, he can develop into a solid defensive tackle in a year or two. At worst, he can be packaged as part of a trade deal down the road. Most teams in the NFL would be intrigued by a defensive tackle who is versatile and fast, even if a little under-developed.