Cam Heyward had been the hero of the Steelers' defense for a few years going into 2017, and with the confirmation that Ryan Shazier will not play in 2018, he probably will have to play that role again next season.
But he and the Steelers' defensive line registered 23 of the team's NFL-leading 56 sacks on the season. Even while missing Stephon Tuitt at different times due to injury, the defensive line showed sparks of their potential throughout the season.
However, sparks aren't as important as consistent production, which is where we focus for today's final grades:
Daniel McCullers
McCullers was an experimental draft pick in the sixth round back in 2014 who hasn't worked out. It made sense to give a 6-foot-7, 352-pound defensive tackle a shot at that point in the draft, but like most sixth-round draft picks, he hasn't been able to adjust to the NFL.
McCullers' size should've been an asset, but his inability to get lower than his opponents in order to establish and maintain leverage was the drawback on him when he was coming out of Tennessee.
If you need to know anything about McCullers' play in 2017, it's that there was none. He had a total of 13 defensive snaps all season, and thus he is not expected to be back with the team in 2018.
L.T. Walton
Walton is a solid depth player for the defensive line in that he's cheap and can be plugged in numerous places. He's primarily a defensive end, but his effort allows him to play some snaps as an interior lineman in sub packages and move between a 3-technique defensive lineman and a 5-technique.
That versatility, along with his effort, makes him a valuable depth player who only costs $734, 232 against the Steelers' cap in 2018. He's not a proficient pass rusher, but he notched two sacks in just 144 snaps during the season and will definitely be on the second line of rotations for the defensive line next season.
Tyson Alualu
Where the Steelers made the biggest improvement on this group from 2016 to 2017 was in their acquisition of Alualu in free agency. The Steelers had been looking for a solid replacement option for their defensive ends over the years and hadn't found that answer in either Cam Thomas in 2015 or Ricardo Matthews in 2016, but Alualu became what the team had been looking for in 2017.
Alualu was drafted as the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft by the Jaguars as their 4-3 edge rusher of the future, but he never lived up to be the Calais Campbell-type of player they were looking for with that pick. Instead, Alualu hit free agency and landed with the Steelers for a two year deal that only cost the club about $2.3 million in cap space in 2017 and will only cost them $3.6 million in cap space for 2018.
What Alualu brought was that solid backup who could contribute against both the run and the pass. His athleticism allowed him to help close down on wider gaps and present a pass rush threat that could occupy offensive linemen and open up opportunities for the Steelers' prime pass rushers.
His stat sheet wasn't anything to be amazed by, as he only totaled 25 tackles, four sacks and a pass defensed, but he saw 434 snaps on the defense to take up almost half of the defensive plays on the season (44.24 percent). The Steelers felt comfortable plugging him anywhere along the line, including the zero-technique at rare times, in order to account for gaps.
Take this tackle for no gain he had against the Vikings in his first start for the team when he stuffed a draw run by Jerick McKinnon. Notice how Alualu lines up directly over the center, Pat Elflein (No. 65), and is responsible for a huge gap in the middle of the line. That's the zero-technique I mentioned earlier, putting him directly over the center, but he doesn't charge forward like a typical nose tackle.
Instead, Alualu plays passively and stands up in order to see what McKinnon is trying to do with the ball. When McKinnon picks his gap, Alualu is able to close down on it and force the running back wide into Heyward:
Moments like this are where you appreciate a veteran lineman who can perform these types of tasks in exotic blitz looks. Notice how on the above play that Keith Butler has his linebackers lined up all over the place and even uses Joe Haden to blitz C-Gap. When those types of blitzes are called, you need defensive linemen who can play janitor and clean up the gaps being sacrificed in their aggressive blitzes.
Where Alualu cannot contribute is being the aggressive defensive line presence that can change the line of scrimmage at will. While you usually can't ask that from a backup, the Steelers still need that third option on the defensive line who can bulldoze an offensive lineman and blow up running plays and pockets from the interior.
But that's not Alualu's role, nor is he being paid to do that. It just means that the Steelers will need to be on the lookout for that type of player either in the draft or free agency.
Javon Hargrave
Hargrave is the style of defensive tackle that can outwork an offensive lineman and use his size in a different way than most. Hargrave only stands 6-foot-2, 302 pounds as a defensive tackle, not overly large in the way that's going to overpower interior offensive linemen.
But when it comes to getting under the bigger centers and guards, Hargrave does that well enough to make him a solid man in the rotation. Hargrave made a good name for himself as a rookie because he often won leverage battles and had good placement of his hands to beat opponents with technique rather than running them over.
That was good for two sacks in 2017 and a few more pressures, one of which rushed Tom Brady into his first interception thrown to the Steelers since 2005, but it wasn't good enough against the run. Hargrave struggled against better offensive linemen and sometimes was completely stagnated at the line, making his spot of nose tackle a weak point rather than a spot where the defense could work around.
Here he is in the playoffs against the Jaguars' starting center, Brandon Linder, and he gets sealed out of the hole to negate his spot for the defense and allow for a solid gain by Leonard Fournette. (The circled players are Vince Williams and Tommy Bohanon.) Linder isn't a Pro Bowl player or a recognized star in the NFL but his consistent play with a 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame earned him a huge five-year deal with the Jaguars during the 2017 offseason and he was a major asset to Fournette's strong rookie year:
While Hargrave isn't expected to be Casey Hampton, the Steelers are using him in the spot where they need a bigger, stronger and more consistently dominant inside presence. Hargrave is best served as a pass-rushing interior defensive lineman who can make hustle plays and outwork opponents that aren't ready for his use of different hand techniques.
But like Alualu, he's not what the Steelers need between Tuitt and Heyward in the middle of the defense during running plays.
Stephon Tuitt
Tuitt had a down year as he missed four games due to injury and totaled only three sacks on the season, the lowest since his rookie year when he only notched one in limited playing time.
The fifth-year player out of Notre Dame never really got going after he suffered an injury on the second play of the season against the Browns. Even when he did, he had at least three sacks called back due to penalties elsewhere by the defense and often couldn't be the game changer the Steelers signed him to be when they gave him a deal that extended into 2022 for a total of $61.46 million.
Tuitt made his name by blowing up plays and rushing the passer with his ability to get off the ball and change the line of scrimmage. Here's an example of one of those plays that won't show up on a stat sheet because he doesn't get the sack, but he abuses the Ravens' tackle and forces Joe Flacco to dump off a panic pass and waste a down:
Ultimately the Steelers needed more impact plays from Tuitt in 2017. While he was injured, and that shouldn't be counted against him, it did hold back his progress in working with the team. What will stick out in many fans' minds was how he, and most of the Steelers' defensive front, was nowhere to be seen during their playoff loss to the Jaguars.
Tuitt certainly has the talent and the potential based on what the Steelers had seen prior to 2017, which is why it's fair to say this year was a letdown for him.
Cam Heyward
The captain of the defensive line is the team's first round pick from the 2011 NFL draft. The Pittsburgh native not only starts for the team, he is the catalyst for its record year of sacks.
His 12 sacks in 2017 led the team's 56 total that not only led the NFL but set a franchise record for team sacks. What's truly remarkable about those sacks is that his defensive end position isn't your typical 4-3 defensive end who gets to be an edge rusher and have more room to work; he's a 3-4 end, which means he's coming from the interior.
Heyward blows up both running plays and passing plays with how quickly he gets off the ball and how physical he is at the point of attack. Here's a perfect example of when he completely destroyed Patriots' left guard Joe Thuney, and ran through him to sack Brady and change the down and distance of a big drive:
Notice how Heyward combines his explosiveness with proper hand technique to disengage with the guard, all while still pumping his feet and using his long left arm to reach out and obstruct Brady's pocket. Those type of interior pass rush plays are moments that change games, and why he deserved to see his first Pro Bowl in 2017.
While Heyward was explosive through most of the season, he was a part of the defensive line that couldn't get off the ball and collapse the pocket on Blake Bortles in the playoffs, ultimately leading to their disappointing early exit. Like Tuitt, that's what many fans will remember, but if you take an honest look at his work in 2017, the whole picture shows a strong year of production.
STATE OF THE UNIT
This group had its fair share of highs and lows on the season, but what ultimately tarnishes their strong performance throughout the year was how they ended it when they were torched by the Jaguars. A group that pushed around several lines throughout the season was bullied by an offensive line that wasn't even considered among the NFL's elite.
That being said, they still have high potential moving forward in the form of Heyward and Tuitt if both can be healthy for the season. Alualu will lead the depth portion in 2018, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers use one of their earlier picks to address the interior of the defensive line.
They need a bruiser who can eat up two gaps and stonewall double teams against the run to help shut down the obvious stretch runs that teams love to use to pick at this defense. Hargrave isn't that, and with the easy decision of letting McCullers go in free agency, the Steelers will have the roster spot available.
Consistency breeds success, and while Heyward is the model for consistency at his position, they still need Tuitt to step up to that level so that Butler can lean on their production as the team adapts to life without Shazier. Look for that to be a key story of 2018.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Dale's Stock: Overall, it was a good season marred by the final game. But the final results can't be overlooked, even though Tuitt and Hargrave were not at 100 percent for that game. But the Steelers are asking for more big plays out of their defensive line and, for the most part, it delivered in 2018. This is a group that is only going to continue to get better. We haven't seen the best of Tuitt and Hargrave as of yet.