Evaluating the Steelers' defense after more free-agent signings

The NFL owners' meetings are all wrapped up, and teams will now return to business as usual for this time of year.

The Steelers wasted little time getting back into the free-agent market after returning from Phoenix, adding two more pieces to the defense. This backs up what Omar Khan said when he sat down with local reporters on Tuesday at the Arizona Biltmore.

"No, I'd say we keep evaluating what's out there," Khan said regarding the Steelers' involvement in the free-agent market. "There's still a lot of good players out there. As much as we're interested in them, they gotta be interested in us. We're still going through that process. That's a nonstop. We're still evaluating everything."

We've already taken a look at how free agency has shaped the offense ahead of the NFL Draft on April 27. Now, let's break down the defense, position by position.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Cam Heyward is the stalwart on the interior, and his primary partner in crime from the 2022 season, Larry Ogunjobi, returned to the Steelers after hitting the market, re-signing on a three-year, $28.75-million contract. That's the good news. But a good defensive line is all about depth.

DeMarvin Leal provides perhaps the most amount of intrigue heading into his second year. Versatility to play on the edge and as a 3-technique was a key takeaway from his rookie season. While he proved to be versatile, any splash was few and far between. A knee injury limited him to 11 games and he only racked up 14 tackles and one tackle for loss. 

Leal did bat down three passes at the line of scrimmage, which is a good indicator of his athleticism. There is definitely more in the tank and the Steelers should expect him to contribute more, perhaps in a Chris Wormley-type of role should he sign elsewhere.

Isaiahh Loudermilk saw very little action in his second year, despite getting a helmet in 11 games. It's clear his performance in both practice and games gave Mike Tomlin a good reason to limit his playing time in 2022. The former fifth-round pick needs to come to training camp with a chip on his shoulder and turn some heads. It's put up or shut up time.

Until Thursday, Montravius Adams was the only nose tackle on the roster. And, Adams carved out a supporting role after being signed to the practice squad during the 2021 season. But, even after the Steelers jumped from dead last to ninth against the run in 2022, they need more from the nose tackle spot if they want to become one of the elite rush defenses in the NFL.

The Steelers added Breiden Fehoko via free agency on Thursday. This isn't a groundbreaking signing, as Fehoko has only played in 19 games over a three-year career after signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2020. However, Fehoko does provide competition to the nose tackle position, and he fits the mold of some of the other signings Khan has made so far.

In other words, he's big, athletic and physical.

Fehoko has also shown flashes of being able to clog up the middle, which is exactly what the Steelers need at nose tackle. They don't need flash. They need a space eater that can give everyone else up front more room and freedom to work.

EDGE RUSHER

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Anything else?

Yeah, actually. The Steelers need a third edge rusher that can tag in on either side in case Watt or Highsmith need a breather. And, as we learned last season, they need some insurance in case the star of the Steelers' defense goes down with an injury. Malik Reed just didn't get it done last season. The Steelers need more.

The most talked about solution here is Bud Dupree. He knows the defense. He and Watt have a great relationship. When healthy, Dupree is a more than capable third edge rusher. He might even be good enough to be a starter on some teams.

The Steelers are absolutely interested in a reunion. Otherwise, they wouldn't have hosted Dupree for a visit to the South Side on Thursday. However, a team source told me that Dupree took his physical and left without signing a contract. That's definitely clouds the possibility of making him a Steeler once again. After a couple of seasons plagued by injuries, the Steelers ought to cover all of their bases.

Should things not work out between the Steelers and Dupree, there are other options remaining on the market. Justin Houston, Frank Clark, Kyle Van Noy, Rasheem Green and Carlos Dunlap are affordable options, but each come with question marks. They also may want to pursue a larger role with another team rather than being the unquestioned third guy in Pittsburgh.

The draft is deep with edge rushers, which could make for a interesting first couple of nights of the draft if one falls into the Steelers' lap. If that scenario plays out, do the Steelers draft one to compete with Highsmith? That sounds a little crazy since Highsmith is coming off a season in which he recorded 14.5 sacks.

However, Highsmith is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If the Steelers happen to land a stud edge rusher in the draft, that could signal a willingness to not feel handcuffed to giving Highsmith a big contract extension this summer.

INSIDE LINEBACKER

Just as the interior of the offensive line was the most overhauled position on offense, inside linebacker got the same, if not a more violent shakeup in free agency.

Gone are Devin Bush, Robert Spillane and Myles Jack. Bush and Spillane signed elsewhere and Jack was cut as a cap casualty, clearing $8 million in cap space. The only holdover from 2022 is Mark Robinson, who only logged meaningful defensive snaps in the final two games of the season.

Gone is also Jerry Olsavsky, who had served as inside linebackers coach since 2015. Instead, Tomlin went with Aaron Curry from Seattle to coach the position, a former top-five overall pick as a player and a coach that was on the rise on Pete Carroll's staff.

Though the first free-agent signing didn't take place until a couple of days after the legal tampering period began, Khan was not shy about overhauling the position. Cole Holcomb was the first player added, who certainly comes with a bit of concern as his 2022 season came to an end after only seven games due to a foot injury that required surgery.

Holcomb passed the Steelers' physical prior to signing his contract, so the medical team on the South Side is comfortable with his health heading into a three-year contract. Outside of the health concern, there's a lot to like about Holcomb. He's a better coverage linebacker than most give him credit for, and there's no doubt he's a thumper. So is Elandon Roberts -- the other free-agent signing that addressed off-ball linebacker.

Both players represent a different, more physical style than we've seen in recent seasons. That's surely not an accident. But, what's more important is both players were leaders on their previous teams. They have experience wearing the green dot. They're smart football players, and that's something the Steelers will always value.

"There’s a lot to like. His athleticism. Love the fact that he's a captain. He’s smart. He can make all the calls," Khan said of Holcomb this week in Phoenix. "Same thing with the Elandon. We're excited to have him and the opportunity to do business with both those guys was a beautiful thing for us. We're excited that we have both of them."

The trio of Holcomb, Roberts and Robinson is enough to secure the position without having to add more in free agency, especially with how many subpackages the Steelers run. But, the Steelers would be remiss to not add an inside linebacker with one of their first three draft picks. It's not a terribly deep class this year. But, if just one of Trenton Simpson, Drew Sanders or Jack Campbell is available at 49th overall, the Steelers would be getting a solid choice in the middle of the second round. 

Adding a talented rookie in the early stages of the draft would really give the Steelers a solid chance at making inside linebacker a position of strength, which is a significant change from 2022. Making a drastic improvement in the second level of the defense could turn this very good defense into one of the best in football.

CORNERBACK

Cornerback has been talked about ad nauseam this offseason. When you put that in the context of the fact that the Steelers finished the season tied for the league lead in interceptions, it may be a bit puzzling why cornerback has been such a primary focus this season.

First, the Steelers still need to get better at limiting offenses from moving down the field through the air. They ranked 19th in passing yards allowed per game, and were fourth-worst in the NFL in allowing 7.5 yards per attempt. Pittsburgh also ranked 18th in third-down percentage on defense, which is a prominent passing down.

The bottom line: Interceptions are good (obviously). But, they need to do better.

Second, the highest priority among the team's impending free agents was Cam Sutton. Losing him was something that would put the Steelers in a bind, and those fears were realized when he agreed to a three-year, $33-million deal with the Lions just a couple of hours into the legal tampering period.

Khan quickly pivoted and addressed the void by adding Patrick Peterson, a four-time All-Pro and future Hall of Famer. While Peterson isn't quite the player he once was (he would have cost a lot more than $14 million over two years if he was), he was still very productive in an inconsistent Vikings secondary, recording five interceptions and 15 passes defended. He does more than enough to fill the void on the outside.

However, Sutton is a very versatile cornerback that can move back and forth between the perimeter and the slot on a whim. That leaves a void on defense. Arthur Maulet can play the slot, and that's the role he's best suited for. However, the Steelers simply need more splash when a cornerback is occupying the slot. That's not Maulet's game.

Turns out, the Steelers not only believe Peterson's more than capable of playing in different spots, but plan on using Peterson in that way.

"He's versatile," Tomlin said this week in Phoenix. "He is not only in terms of his talents, but his intellect and we're not going to be bashful about moving him around. He and I have already had that discussion. I think he's really excited about the prospects of that."

The Steelers brought back James Pierre for half the price of the $2.6-million qualifying offer they declined to tender before the deadline to maintain his rights as a restricted free agent. Pierre was productive in a smaller sample size a season ago, and provides some quality depth behind Peterson, Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon. In fact, Pierre played significantly better than Witherspoon last season, so there's even a chance that he could win a higher spot on the depth chart with a strong performance this summer in Latrobe.

That's where the draft comes into play. This class of cornerbacks doesn't boast a Sauce Gardner-type of player that can become one of the best cornerbacks in the league literally right away. However, it is a deep class with a lot of talent that can turn into legitimate starters on Day 1.

We've talked about all of the names over and over and over again. Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks, Kelee Ringo, Emmanuel Forbes, and so on -- the Steelers will be fortunate to land any one of them. The position needs more youth and talent.

From now until the draft, the cornerback position will continue to remain a focus. While a minor free-agent signing isn't out of the question for depth purposes, the draft is the main event for finding any true answers.

SAFETY

Minkah Fitzpatrick is the star here, and both Damontae Kazee and Terrell Edmunds were bound for free agency this spring. One way or another, the safety position was going to have to be addressed.

The first answer Khan came up with was bringing back Kazee, and he was able to bring him back at the cheap cost of $6 million over two years. While Edmunds had become a great partner for Fitzpatrick in the back end of the defense, prioritizing Kazee came down to two things.

"He's got ball production," Tomlin said in Phoenix. "He brings an energy and enthusiasm that's infectious, that's good for teams not only in stadium, but day to day. He has a Steelers spirit that we value."

The Steelers offered Edmunds a contract to run back the three-safety package on defense, but he chose to pursue a new opportunity with the Eagles. Edmunds only demanded a one-year, $2-million contract with $600,000 guaranteed. That's a clear message that money wasn't the issue in why Edmunds didn't return.

Either way, with Edmunds' departure, the Steelers needed to add another safety to the roster. And, Tomlin said at the owners' meetings that the team would be adding another safety, either through free agency or the draft. That solution came to fruition only a few days later when the team added former first-round pick Keanu Neal on a two-year contract.

Neal is a similar type of player to Edmunds, though he's a bit more accomplished. Neal's game revolves around what he can do in the box, and he's been known to lay some big hits all over the field.

The former Florida Gator racked up 222 tackles, one interception and 14 passes defended over his first two seasons, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017. Neal tore his ACL in the opener of the 2018 season, and then missed the bulk of the 2019 campaign after suffering an achilles injury. 

Neal's career hasn't quite been the same since those major injuries, but he's still a stout third option for the Steelers at safety. That leaves Tre Norwood, Miles Killebrew and Elijah Riley as depth and special teams options.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Steelers really don't need to add much more to the defense through free agency. They've made multiple signings at every position we've discussed except for edge rusher. Wrap up a third guy behind Watt and Highsmith, and call it a day.

In turn, that puts the Steelers in a great spot heading into the draft. The draft should be a place to add the best players available, not address needs.

Do the Steelers need to get better at defensive tackle, inside linebacker and cornerback in order to be a truly great defense? Absolutely. They especially need to get younger on the defensive line and cornerback. This is a great draft to address the latter, and if the draft falls a certain way, maybe they can accomplish that at both positions.

But, going into the draft with all of the needs taken care of is always, always ideal. It gives Khan, Tomlin and Art Rooney II the freedom to truly go with more of a "best player available" approach to the draft, which is ultimately the Steelers' preferred method anyway.