Kevin Gorman: Steelers counting on Javon Hargrave to look the part of a pass rusher

The Pittsburgh Steelers are down a defensive end with Stephon Tuitt’s season-ending pectoral injury, so they will turn to the most unlikely of all pass rushers as a replacement.

Javon Hargrave has a nose for the quarterback, maybe even more so than he does for his position. The 6-foot, 315-pound nose tackle doesn’t look the part of a pass rusher, with his round rear end earning him the nickname J-Wobble.

But Hargrave’s statistics show that he can be a disruptive force. He has 12 ½ career sacks, including a career-best 6 ½ last season, from what is generally a run-plugging role.

“That’s what I love doing ever since I’ve been playing football,” said Hargrave, who registered 37 career sacks at South Carolina State. “That’s my favorite thing about football, getting to the quarterback.”

Where Tyson Alualu will start for Tuitt, the Steelers are counting on Hargrave to serve as the pass-rushing replacement in sub-package situations in their Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field.

“There’s not a lot of nose’s that can do what he does,” Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said. “Sub-package wise, he’s going to get more of an opportunity, and we’re going to depend on him. He’s shown up in the past and will have to do it again.”

This isn’t the first time Hargrave has filled this role for the Steelers. He played a season-high 51 snaps at Jacksonville last season when Tuitt was out with an elbow injury, recording four tackles and two sacks against an injury-depleted offensive line.

“He really showed out in that game,” Heyward said. “We’re going to need him for a longer time since Tuitt’s going to be gone but we’re going to ride together.”

Hargrave had four tackles and a half-sack while playing a season-high 81% of the snaps in the loss at Denver the next week. Here’s the problem: The Jaguars rushed for 179 yards and the Broncos for 124 yards in those two games.

This season, the most snaps Hargrave played in a game was 46 at San Francisco. He’s played 39 snaps each of the past two games, so the additional workload could take a toll. The Steelers are confident that Alualu, a former first-round pick, can fill in capably for Tuitt but their depth behind him will be challenged.

“It’s a little urgency,” Hargrave said. “We know we’re missing a big part of our defense. But we’ve got a lot of guys like that on our D-line that can get pressure. We’ve got to step up. We’ve all got to play big.”

How he plays over the final 10 games will go a long way in determining Hargrave’s future. He isn’t a traditional nose tackle by any measure, whether it’s his size or sack statistics, and his position has become less of a priority in the pass-oriented NFL.

Remember when Mike Tomlin talked about how he likes to kid Hargrave that if he didn’t diversify his sub-package skills, he would go the way of Blockbuster? The Steelers declined to extend the fourth-year veteran before the season, allowing Hargrave to test free agency next year. So, he has no shortage of motivation to prove they made a mistake.

“Every year is motivation,” Hargrave said. “I’m just pushing, trying to go get it. I don’t really think about that now. I just take it a game at a time. Every week is another week to try and prove myself.”

This is Hargrave’s opportunity to prove that he can be an every-down player, if not to the Steelers then to other potential suitors.

“I think he knows that,” Alualu said. “We have a lot of those talks about him setting himself up for next year. I think he’s just worried about playing well and winning games. That plays a big factor into what happens for him next year.”

That’s the interesting thing about the Steelers’ 2016 draft class. Cornerback Artie Burns, safety Sean Davis, Hargrave and inside linebacker Tyler Matakevich are the final four of the seven players selected remaining on the roster.

No wonder Hargrave is treating this season like an open audition, even if free agency is the furthest thing from his mind.

“You never have to worry about money with him,” Heyward said. “That dude comes to work every day and is accountable for what he does, from the second he steps on the field. Going forward, I’ve told him, ‘You’re just putting millions back in your pocket.’ I can’t wait for him to perform.”

The Steelers need Hargrave to play as big as his backside and show he knows how to get to the quarterback.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.