Even though free agency has only been officially active for about a week, the big tidal wave of free agency around the NFL is pretty much in the books.
The next phase is generally when teams take a small step back, regroup a bit, maybe make some salary cap moves, focus on the draft and pro days, and then look for bargains amongst the many currently unemployed players in this free agent group.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers traded out Cam Sutton for Patrick Peterson at cornerback. They made wholesale changes at linebacker, the weakest area of the entire team in 2022. Gone are Myles Jack, Devin Bush and Robert Spillane. In are Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts. The Steelers also brought back two defenders of their own in Larry Ogunjobi and Damontae Kazee.
And, here is the list of former Steelers' defensive players that are currently without a contract: Jack, William Jackson III, Tyson Alualu, Terrell Edmunds, Chris Wormley, Marcus Allen and Karl Joseph. James Pierre was a restricted free agent, and just returned to the team by signing a one-year deal on Tuesday. He’s a valuable piece on defense and excellent on special teams.
Okay, so that’s the groundwork of where the Steelers' defense is right now. But, what’s next? What is a realistic approach they should take to fill in the gaps and add to their defense?
Let’s start with the big guys. Usually, the Steelers keep six defensive linemen, but seven isn’t out of the question. As is the case with all positions, practice squad players and camp bodies also are considered. And, of course, there will be injuries between now and final roster cuts. Cam Heyward, Ogunjobi, DeMarvin Leal, Montravius Adams and Isaiahh Loudermilk are the prominent defensive linemen that are currently under contract. The first four most likely will make the final roster, but this is a put-up-or-shut-up type of season for Loudermilk, who needs to prove he belongs.
So, the Steelers really should add two more defensive linemen of note, most likely a nose tackle type to compete with Adams and another defensive tackle/end. At this point, it pretty much goes without saying that of the available free agents on the market, the price must be right and most likely, a team-friendly contract. A’Shawn Robinson, Akiem Hicks and Linval Joseph would be upgrades over Adams at nose tackle and probably wouldn’t break the bank. In the draft, the Steelers could target Michigan's Mazi Smith or Baylor's Siaki Ika on Day 2 would make sense, with Smith as the much more athletic option of the two.
How about at defensive tackle/end? Free agents that might make some sense include Matt Ioannidis, Shelby Harris, Ndamukong Suh, Calais Campbell, Jerry Tillery or bringing back Wormley.
This isn’t a great draft class, but the Steelers should strongly consider Clemson's Bryan Bresee in the first round. Some intriguing options in the second or third rounds include Florida's Gervin Dexter, South Carolina's Zacch Pickens or Wisconsin's Keeanu Benton. A wild card is Northwestern's Adetomiwa Adebawore, a tremendous athlete and rare prospect who could help all over the defensive front in a similar mold to Leal.
Bresee has a lot of similarities in his game to Heyward and could be the heir apparent on the Steelers' defensive line.
T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are entrenched as the starting edge defenders (or outside linebackers if you prefer), and the Steelers are likely to extend Highsmith at some point. They were smart to re-sign Jamir Jones, a quality fourth guy here and core special teamer. That probably leaves just one spot open at this position, possibly two.
Quincey Roche is also back with the team and could be in the mix. Bud Dupree is the veteran everyone is talking about, and such a reunion would make a ton of sense. But, some others that have an NFL track record that could be considered are Justin Houston, Shaq Lawson, Robert Quinn, Markus Golden, Dawuane Smoot and Rasheem Green.
In the draft, the Steelers most likely wouldn’t consider an edge defender in the first frame. But, on Day 2, Iowa State's Will McDonald IV, Notre Dame's Isaiah Foskey, Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Auburn's Derrick Hall, LSU's BJ Ojulari, and Ohio State's Zach Harrison would all be fine additions. Most likely the Steelers will be reluctant to use a high pick on this position. But, we won't exactly what the roster will look like come draft time, so it is worth exploring.
Many likely remember what Dupree did in his final season with the Steelers. Bringing him back under his current circumstances could be a very shrewd move.
As mentioned, the second level of the defense has seen a sweeping change. The Steelers will keep four or five true linebackers on the final roster with Holcomb and Roberts assured of making the team. Mark Robinson is probably safe and might develop into an impact starter. Tae Crowder is also in the mix, but the Steelers certainly are not done revamping this position.
It seems highly unlikely that the Steelers draft a linebacker with the 17th overall pick, but at 32, they could be in the market for Clemson's Trenton Simpson, Arkansas' Drew Sanders, and Iowa's Jack Campbell. Later, on the second day or early on Day 3, could yield Alabama's Henry To’o To’o or Washington State's Daiyan Henley.
If the Steelers have real high hopes for Robinson, which is possible, maybe all they do is use a late-round selection on the position or find a very cheap veteran option late in the process. A wild card in the draft at 17 is Georgia's Nolan Smith, who could be a Lawrence Timmons-like combination of edge and off-ball linebacker.
Would the Steelers still be in the market for another established veteran linebacker? It’s possible. Bobby Wagner as an immediate starter on a one-year deal makes some sense, but he is probably the only obvious upgrade over Roberts as a starting option. Maybe they would kick the tires on Rashaan Evans or Anthony Walker.
The current safeties under contract are Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kazee, Miles Killebrew, Tre Norwood, and Elijah Riley. Killebrew should make the team based on his special teams acumen, but there potentially are two spots up for grabs. With as much three-safety personnel groupings the Steelers use, this is somewhat of an underrated current need.
Signing safeties is proving to be a real bargain in free agency across the NFL. Retaining Edmunds and running it back is probably the best move here, but maybe the Steelers would prefer Taylor Rapp, John Johnson or Adrian Amos. Drafting a true safety at 17 or 32 probably isn’t in the cards, but later on there are plenty of prospects to consider. The ones to know are Penn State's Ji’Ayir Brown, Illinois' Jartavius Martin, Florida State's Jammie Robinson, Illinois' Sydney Brown, Georgia's Christopher Smith and Alabama's Jordan Battle. This is a very average draft class for safeties though.
The draft class at cornerback is excellent and very deep. It would be a huge surprise if the Steelers didn’t use one of their first three picks on this position. Expect a top-50 drafted cornerback to be on this roster. Right now, the cornerbacks under contract are Peterson, Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon, Arthur Maulet and Pierre. This group isn’t good enough and must be addressed.
Witherspoon could still be a cap casualty. Maulet is a true slot and can’t play on the outside consistently. Perhaps Peterson’s role could grow, and he could handle some slot duties. Fitzpatrick and Kazee are both very slot capable.
Alabama's Brian Branch could be in play at 17 or 32. He’s an exceptional football player that didn’t test well. Branch would be a fine slot option/safety and kills a few birds with one stone. A true slot cornerback that the Steelers should consider in the third or fourth round is TCU's Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, and Utah's Clark Phillips III is an option on the second day to fill the slot duties.
But, most of the cornerbacks to consider in this draft are more the prototypical outside options. First round options are Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. and Maryland's Deontae Banks with Oregon's Christian Gonzalez and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon very likely to be scooped up in the first 16 selections. The other cornerback names to know that are top 50 options are South Carolina's Cam Smith, Georgia's Kelee Ringo, Kansas State's Julius Brents, Michigan's DJ Turner, and Mississippi State's Emanuel Forbes. If they wait, there are strong options such as Syracuse's Garrett Williams, Alabama's Eli Ricks, Miami (FL)'s Tyrique Stevenson, Stanford's Kyu Blu Kelly, South Carolina's Darius Rush, Minnesota's Terell Smith, and Iowa's Riley Moss.
The Steelers could conceivably take advantage of this deep class and draft two cornerbacks as they usually keep five or six players at this position on the final roster. It seems unlikely that they would spend more in free agency at cornerback, especially on a higher-priced guy such as Marcus Peters or Rock Ya-Sin, but maybe Bryce Callahan as an established true slot corner might be worth considering.
Other mediocre options that don’t have a lot of leverage for a big contract include Eli Apple, Ronald Darby, Anthony Brown and Shaquill Griffin. But, if they were to take this approach, giving Jackson III another opportunity with the team would probably make more sense.
Expect this to be a defense-heavy draft class. The Steelers need to get younger on this side of the ball and have a lot of cap space invested on defense. When you read this, a few of the veteran options might have found homes. But, as you can see, there are a lot of options for filling out the roster.
What approach would you take?
