It may not be sexy, but are the Steelers under Mike McCarthy finally bringing the old-school nose tackle position back? That’s what beat writer Ray Fittipaldo hints at, following recent comments by new DL coach Domata Peko. Himself a former NFL DT, he sees great potential in second-year player Yahya Black.
As a rookie a year ago, Black primarily played defensive end for the Steelers. Former DC Teryl Austin even argued against playing nose tackle for him, saying it could stunt his growth. But with a fresh offseason, are the Steelers ready to unleash him at nose tackle? Keeanu Benton is currently there, but he could see more time in other roles, too.
“If that happens, it will signal a change in philosophy from Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff to Mike McCarthy’s”, Fittipaldo wrote about the potential evolution of the Steelers’ nose tackle position. Since Casey Hampton’s retirement, Tomlin leaned on—well, lean defensive tackles. First, it was Steve McLendon, then Javon Hargrave. For the past three seasons, Keeanu Benton has occupied that role, but what if Yahya Black can handle it?
“I feel like Black can be one of the best noses in the game if he just keeps doing what he’s been doing”, Peko said of the Steelers’ second-year nose tackle, “and that’s been working his butt off and being really good with his technique and his details. I just want to sharpen him up and get him going and try to bring out the best in him”.
The shift to a leaner nose tackle for the Steelers coincided with a move away from a core two-gapping philosophy. Matching evolutions around the league, they wanted the defensive line to attack more and create more plays. Cam Heyward thrived under that rubric, as did others. But there is a consequence to moving away from a stout, run-stuffing nose tackle—in a very obvious area.
Leaguewide trends are swinging back to favoring a robust running game, as reflected in the surprising wave of tight ends in this year’s draft class. The Steelers even drafted a fullback, so reintroducing a larger nose tackle would seem on-brand. Within their own division, they watched the Bengals give up a first-round pick to acquire Dexter Lawrence to address their own run-defense issues.
The Steelers drafted Yahya Black in the fifth round a year ago, though they didn’t pigeonhole him as a nose tackle. Despite his size, they also saw athleticism in his game. Under Mike McCarthy, the team is placing heavy emphasis on versatility. This year, Black, Benton, and Sebastian Joseph-Day could all fill that role on the defensive line.
Just don’t ask Cam Heyward to play nose tackle for the Steelers again. Once was enough.
