With the Stephon Tuitt's recent retirement, the Steelers have an arduous task of replacing a high-caliber player in an area of the roster that needs to improve in 2022.
And though the Steelers wrapped up the second day of minicamp Wednesday and don't begin training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe until July 26, they don't have time to lick their wounds.
"It's a next man mentality," said defensive line coach Karl Dunbar. "That's what we do."
Last year, Pittsburgh finished dead last in the NFL, allowing 146.1 rushing yards per game. Even in an era where pressuring the quarterback is so vital -- an area where the Steelers have excelled year after year -- this team has to improve against the run. Eight of the 17 games on the upcoming schedule feature teams that finished in the top eight in rushing yards per game, including AFC North rivals Baltimore and Cleveland.
Dunbar did emphasize how the league has evolved, putting high importance on being able to disrupt the quarterback.
"When you can do that, you do a lot," Dunbar said.
Even with their struggles against the run, the Steelers finished 9-7-1 and made the playoffs. However, just about any defensive lineman in the locker room will tell you they have to be better at making the opposition one-dimensional.
"Nobody was happy with the results, I can say that much," Isaiahh Loudermilk said. "Not really getting it done last year was tough. Coaches are working. Players are working. Pretty much everyone in here is working to fix whatever it was."
"What it was" could be quite simple. Tuitt's absence after undergoing knee surgery and sitting out following the death of his brother in a hit-and-run crash left a sizable void on the defensive line. Tyson Alualu missing nearly the entire season after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 made the void insurmountable.
Even though the Steelers did not have Tuitt last season, it wasn't an easy situation to read given the circumstances and how they played out. It threw younger guys like Loudermilk and Chris Wormley into the fire, forcing them to learn at a faster pace than originally anticipated.
That cloud of uncertainty carried over for months into recent weeks where Cam Heyward publicly said he expected Tuitt to eventually show up. While it's not the situation that anyone wanted, Tuitt's retirement prior to minicamp helps provide some closure and allows the team to focus on the upcoming task at hand.
"He was an outstanding player, a big, strong physical guy inside," Teryl Austin said. "There’s not a lot of guys on the planet like him. So, you miss a guy like that.
"But it’s no excuse in terms of how we play because the guys who are out there have to play. We’re better prepared. We know more what we are. We found out a little bit about the guys that had to play last year. I think they’ll be better this year."
Players such as Loudermilk and Wormley will get their chance to fill the much needed void on the defensive line. Wormley opened some eyes last season, racking up seven sacks. And though the Steelers won't be in pads for another seven weeks, it's not too early for other players in minicamp to make an impression.
"Loudermilk looks great," Dunbar said. "I mean, his chest is a little bit more puffy. He looks around, he's bouncing around. He has more confidence because he's in the same defense. So you look to see great things from those young guys coming forward."
With Loudermilk on the other side of a trial by fire, so to speak, he can go through the stages of minicamp without the pressure and stress of learning how to go through the flow of everything for the first time. It's allowed him to focus on defensive schemes and sharpen physical details, making those sort of things second nature before the team makes their way to Latrobe.
"Right now my confidence is pretty high," Loudermilk said. "I'm definitely ready for the opportunity. It's my second year now. I'm used to everything going on around here. I'm ready to make a pretty big jump."
Confidence is a wonderful and necessary trait for a young player. It's good to have it in June, but it's a whole other ballgame come late July in Latrobe.
