The Steelers felt it was necessary to add to the defensive front in the NFL Draft, and did exactly that with three of their seven picks. The long-term hope is to maintain stability and set themselves up for when Cam Heyward decides to retire. However, there is a short-term benefit outside of just adding more talent to the room.

In selecting Derrick Harmon in the first round, Jack Sawyer in the fourth round and Yahya Black in the fifth round, the Steelers aimed to improve the quality of depth at both defensive tackle and edge rusher. That frees up the likes of Heyward and T.J. Watt to be utilized in the most efficient way possible.

"If you want to be good up front, you guys got to have a good rotation," defensive line coach Karl Dunbar said during the draft at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "When Cam Heyward is playing 55-60 plays a game in the fourth quarter, you don't have what you want. If we can get those plays 30-35 snaps a game, and you got a good rotation going, everybody will be fresh, and then your best players could play their best at the end of the game."

Last season, Heyward played 71% of the defensive snaps. Outside of his injury-plagued 2023 season, that's the lowest amount of his career since 2012. And, Heyward turned in an All-Pro season despite playing less snaps. He doesn't need to be on the field for 80% of the snaps to make a huge impact.

When Watt won Defensive Player of the Year for the 2021 season, he played just 73% of the defensive snaps, the lowest of his career. The past two seasons, Watt played 83% of the snaps in 2023 and 86% of them in 2024.

Bottom line: Less is more with Heyward and Watt. That's part of the formula when adding to the mix. The Steelers firmly believe, and the data backs it up, that the quality of reps are far greater when the quantity of them is managed.

Offensive linemen don't substitute in and out in a rotation. Barring injury, it's the same five guys every snap. The more fresh Heyward and Watt can be late in games, the better the chances are for them to make game-altering plays, as we've seen both do throughout their respective careers.

In addition, both defensive tackle and edge defender needed better quality depth to better stop the run. If the Steelers truly want to keep Heyward on a snap count, their depth has to be able to perform. Last season, teams averaged just 3.6 yards per carry when Heyward was on the field. When he was off the field, that number spiked to 5.1 yards per carry. Adding a high-quality prospect such as Harmon and a run-stuffer such as Black addresses that need.

It's not as drastic, but the edge position needed a boost in that regard, too. Alex Highsmith missed six games last season. While Nick Herbig did a fine job as a pass rusher while Highsmith was out, teams averaged 0.2 more yards per carry during that time. More important, they lose some games they shouldn't have, including games against the Colts and Cowboys, who each totaled more than 100 rushing yards. Sawyer is already a stout run defender on the edge, giving the Steelers a better option to stop the run if and when Watt and/or Highsmith need a play off or if they miss time due to injury.

The Steelers went into the NFL Draft with the plan to make sure they were better equipped to not only address the future, but also put their current stars in the best situation possible. That all falls in line with the desire to get back to being a dominant team up front. They weren't that in 2024, and the Eagles proved to everyone else just how important it remains in today's NFL.

"The tape is the tape, and so we're behaving appropriately," Mike Tomlin said during the NFL Draft. "You don't have a chance to have a top-notch defense unless you're smashing the run and getting after the quarterback."