Steelers updated depth chart shows a change of starter on the defensive line

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put out their weekly press release as they head into their Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. With a number of items available to Pittsburgh media such as the series history, player bios, statistics for both teams, and team rankings, another item of note is the Steelers’ depth chart. Going into Week 4, there has been a change to the listed starters on the Steelers defense.

According to the Steelers press release on September 27, Montravius Adams is now listed as the Steelers starting nose tackle with Tyson Alualu being second on the depth chart.

When it comes to Alualu, the 35-year-old defensive tackle, who was the 10th overall selection of the 2010 NFL draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is coming off a season in which only appeared in two games and was lost with an ankle injury. In 2022, Alualu has played 104 defensive snaps and 12 on special teams where he has amassed six tackles and one quarterback hit.

As for Montravius Adams, he has only seen 31 snaps on the Steelers defense so far in 2022. In those snaps, Adams has two tackles and a pass defensed.

Exactly how this plays out with the Steelers on the field is yet to be determined. The Steelers do not employ their base defense for a huge number of players, and Alualu is also used at times as a defensive tackle when the Steelers only have two defensive lineman on the field.

The significance of this move may gain some more understanding from head coach Mike Tomlin’s press upcoming conference on Tuesday at noon. Additionally, the rotation on the defensive line as well as the snap counts will ultimately show if there’s anything significant to this move. Coach Tomlin ultimately does not put a lot of stock into depth charts. While some could wonder if this was merely another “clerical error” like what we seen heading into Week 1, the fact that it was a change from what the depth chart was before makes it much more unlikely.

It appears this was the only change on the depth chart over the last several games for the Pittsburgh Steelers outside of roster moves. If looking at the depth chart on Steelers.com, another item of note is that rookie defensive tackle DeMarvin Lieal is listed as the third string behind Isaiahh Loudermilk. If seeing this for the first time, it might be alarming to Steeler fans as Leal has been active for every game in 2022 while Loudermilk has been on the inactive list. It should also be noted that since Week 2, Loudermilk and Leal have appeared in these same positions even though it was Leal who was active for the games.

Stay tuned to Behind The Steel Curtain as the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their preparation to face the New York Jets this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.