The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter this year’s training camp a better team than they were last year. Their quarterback play should be better (it can’t possibly be worse), and they overhauled their offensive line, upgraded their linebacker room, and will have a new-look offense. One area the Steelers still have some question marks is their defensive line. Pittsburgh’s defensive front is very good at the top, but they are severely lacking in the depth department.
Steelers Defensive Line Depth a Top Issue Ahead of Training Camp
Despite Cameron Heyward still being one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, his 2024 status is up in the air. He wants a new contract, but the Steelers have not yet given him one. Heyward has expressed a willingness to play elsewhere if he doesn’t receive an extension from Pittsburgh. The Steelers have a defensive line depth problem with Heyward on the team; remove the perennial Pro-Bowler and the unit could completely fall apart.
The Starters Are Set
Assuming the Steelers front office comes to their senses and extends Heyward, their starting defensive line will be very good. In the middle of the unit will be second-year nose tackle Keeanu Benton, who is coming off a monstrous rookie season. As a rookie, Benton showed enormous promise as a pass rusher. He was no slouch against the run, either, although pass-rushing was clearly the stronger part of his game. Entering his second season, Benton’s snap count will increase and his production should do the same.
Beside Benton in the Steelers base defense will be Heyward and his fellow veteran Larry Ogunjobi. Heyward played injured for a large part of the 2023 season. Before the injury, though, he was his usual, dominant self. Pittsburgh’s run defense was demonstrably weaker when he was off the field. Ogunjobi, while he probably wasn’t as productive as Pittsburgh was hoping in 2023, is still a quality defensive end. He can produce both against the pass and as a run-stopper. But with the promise Benton showed as a pass rusher last year, expect him to get more snaps alongside Heyward on passing downs.
Concerning Lack of Depth
Behind the starters, there is really only one player who inspires any kind of confidence in the Steelers rotational defensive line pieces. Montravius Adams has been a key depth piece and solid contributor since joining the Steelers during the 2021 season. He played a career-high number of snaps last season. While Adams doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher, he’s strong against the run and will certainly be in the rotation with Heyward, Benton, and Ogunjobi.
After Adams, there’s not much else in the Steelers defensive line group. They signed Dean Lowry in the offseason, who is a very experienced depth piece but not much of a difference-maker. He’ll get maybe 10-12 snaps a game to give someone a quick break and maybe get in on a couple of tackles along the way. While Lowry won’t be a big playmaker, he is at least versatile; he can play any spot on the defensive front if needed. There’s also Isaiah Loudermilk, who is entering his fourth season with the Steelers. Most of Loudermilk’s playing time last year came when Heyward was hurt, and he didn’t do much to capitalize on the extra snaps. He has struggled to find any consistent playing time or production since being a Steelers fifth-round draft pick in 2021.
There aren’t any big-name defensive linemen available in the free-agent market right now. Pittsburgh has plenty of cap space if someone worthwhile becomes available. Maybe a reunion with Tyson Alualu could be in the cards. Or maybe they will enter the season with their current group and hope and pray no one gets hurt.
Main Photo Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
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