Photo Credit: Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Steelers wasted no time responding after their division rival made a big move last offseason. Just hours after the Ravens signed Derrick Henry, Pittsburgh locked in linebacker Patrick Queen on a three-year deal. It felt like a chess match—the Ravens strengthened their run game, and the Steelers added a defender to counter it. But when the teams met late in the season, Baltimore dominated on the ground, piling up nearly 300 rushing yards in a 28-14 wild-card playoff win. Despite finishing as a top-10 team in run defense, Pittsburgh struggled against the league’s best rushing teams down the stretch. That raises the question: Should the Steelers break recent precedent and select a defensive player in the first round of April’s draft for the first time in six years?
Steelers’ Draft Trends and Defensive Investments
Pittsburgh hasn’t used its first-round pick on a defensive player since 2019, when they traded up to select linebacker Devin Bush at No. 10 overall. That selection capped a seven-year stretch in which every first-round pick went to the defense, including T.J. Watt, Ryan Shazier, Bud Dupree, and others.
Since then, however, general manager Omar Khan has found value in later rounds. Last year’s third-round pick, linebacker Payton Wilson, had a solid rookie season with 78 tackles, an interception, and two forced fumbles. Second-round cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has started 27 games in two seasons, while nose tackle Keeanu Benton, also a second-round pick, started 23 games and recorded two forced fumbles and an interception.
Despite these additions, Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II acknowledged that the team’s run defense remains a concern.
“On the defensive side, it starts with stopping the run, and we didn’t do that down the stretch,” Rooney said in his end-of-season press conference. “So we need to figure out how we get stronger, probably on the defensive front.”
First-Round Defensive Options
If Pittsburgh decides to break from its recent trend and draft a defensive player in the first round, several options stand out.
Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham could be a game-changer. The national champion is known for his elite interior play and run-stopping ability, but the Steelers would likely have to trade up to land him, as Jacksonville (No. 5 overall) is a prime suitor.
Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen is another strong choice. A consensus All-American, Nolen posted 14 tackles for loss in 2024 and anchored a defense that allowed just 80.5 rushing yards per game. Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, who led all FBS defensive tackles with 34 pressures last season, is another potential target.
If the Steelers prefer to bolster their secondary, they could look at Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston or Michigan’s Will Johnson to pair with Porter Jr.
A Declining Run Defense
Pittsburgh technically improved in run defense from 2023 to 2024, allowing nine fewer yards per game (109.8), but struggled in key matchups. The Ravens gashed them for 299 rushing yards in the wild-card round and 220 yards in their Week 16 meeting.
“The Ravens present a unique challenge in terms of their run game,” coach Mike Tomlin said in January. “You got to play 11-on-11 football, and at times we could have performed better schematically and at times we could have performed better as individuals, particularly the last two games that we played them.
“We didn’t do a good enough job of controlling that component of the game and that leads to possession-down play and situational play, and we didn’t have them in enough one-dimensional circumstances to create the type of negativity that’s been a calling card of us winning those games with consistency.”
The Eagles also exposed Pittsburgh’s defense in a Week 15 win, rushing for 131 yards and converting 10 first downs on the ground. Saquon Barkley’s 22-yard run and Jalen Hurts’ 23-yard scramble highlighted tackling issues that plagued the Steelers late in the season.
“There were several possession downs where we had a ball carrier netted short of the line to gain, and he made us miss and move the chains,” Tomlin said after the Eagles’ loss. “Not only do you lose that down, and that’s why we call them weighty downs, but those were drive-producing type plays and time-of-possession type plays. You make those plays so you don’t have to make plays that follow, and we didn’t. We didn’t tackle well enough, specifically in those instances.”
Defensive Line Needs a Refresh
The Steelers have invested in their defensive front over the past seven drafts, but the unit is aging.
Cameron Heyward, who turns 36 in May, remains productive—he recorded eight sacks and a career-high 11 passes defended in 2024—but he’s entering the final year of his contract. Larry Ogunjobi, 31, has been a reliable run-stopper when healthy, but moving on from him would save the team $7 million in cap space. Montravius Adams, DeMarvin Leal, and Isaiahh Loudermilk all struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season.
Tomlin acknowledged that evaluating the run defense will be a key focus this offseason.
“Those are questions that are going to be answered over the course of a longer period of time as we study not only our personnel but our schematics and the combinations of both,” he said. “And we’ll also look at trends in the game, the quarterback mobility component, the design quarterback run component is a component of the discussion as well and making sure that we are in the right lanes in that regard schematically. And so there’s a lot of complex discussions to be had and things to analyze in that regard, but I’m excited about embarking on it.”
With clear weaknesses against the run and an aging defensive front, the Steelers have a strong case to draft a defensive player in the first round. Whether they follow through, however, remains to be seen.
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This report used information from ESPN.
