One of several Pittsburgh Steelers’ free agent signings was DL Sebastian Joseph-Day. His addition is an upgrade in depth to the position room compared to last season by all appearances. One attractive aspect of his abilities is his versatility, and today I wanted to learn more and provide context for this fact.
For starters, I wanted to look at his total production and, by the end of the article, dissect it by his alignment along the defensive line to show what he offered last season compared to his peers at the position.
Here is a chart of total snaps, using average tackle depth to gauge players in run defense, and pressure rate for pass rushing from Sports Info Solutions (SIS):
Joseph-Day lands on the desirable top right of the chart. So, regardless of where he aligned, he was comfortably above average in both. In fact, he was top-20 (out of 64 qualifiers) in each, tying for 13th in pressure rate (9.9-percent) and T-17th with a 1.8 average tackle depth in run defense. Quite impressive, exceeding my expectations going into the study.
Comparatively, this was clearly stronger than both qualifying Steelers, who land on the bottom left of the visual. Cameron Heyward was slightly below average with a 7.5-percent pressure rate (T-35th) and a 2.5 average tackle depth in run defense (T-48th). Keeanu Benton tied for 39th in run defense with a 2.3 average tackle depth, and 7.0-percent pressure rate (T-38th).
We now have a foundational context for Joseph-Day’s total production, with some key stats that are stronger than what Pittsburgh had last season, along with many players at his position.
Now, to zoom in on his alignment versatility. The next thing I looked at was how defensive tackles fared in the same stats, but filtering to the 2-4 technique only. If you are unfamiliar, check this out to learn about defensive technique alignments. In other words, the goal here is to see player production from inside/outside an offensive guard.
Once again, Joseph-Day lands on the top right. His stronger mark when playing 2-4 technique was a 9.8-percent pressure rate, ranking 16th (of 64 DTs). Generally, many have pointed out that he is a stronger run defender. But we’re seeing that, while he isn’t a sack master, his pass-rushing last season deserves more credit. Paired with this is a 2.1 average tackle depth in 2-4 technique run defense, tying for 25th.
Seemingly, the 2-4 technique is where Joseph-Day will be utilized most with the Black and Gold, and where he could bring nice depth. Here’s how Joseph-Day compared to Pittsburgh’s depth last season:
2-4 Technique stats:
Sebastian Joseph-Day: (9.8-percent pressure rate, 2.1-yard average tackle depth)
Cameron Heyward: (7.4-percent pressure rate, 2.3-yard average tackle depth)
Keeanu Benton: (6.2-percent pressure rate, 2.1-yard average tackle depth)
Derrick Harmon: (8.2-percent pressure rate, 2.2-yard average tackle depth)
Yahya Black: (4.5-percent pressure rate, 2.4-yard average tackle depth)
Best, or tied for it in each stat, is another great part of Joseph-Day’s 2025 resume, and what he can hopefully bring in his likely primary alignment in 2026.
Next, I wanted to see what occurred for DTs in the 0-1 technique (over/outside the offensive center), using the same stats:
You guessed it, Joseph-Day lands on the top right again. His -1.0 average tackle depth in 0-1 technique run defense ranked absolute best out of all 64 qualifiers, and was also one of only two players with an average tackle depth behind the line of scrimmage. Yes, this was a much lower sample size in terms of alignment, but another example of the versatility that Joseph-Day can provide. Also, his 11.1-percent pressure rate tied for 11th, admirably.
In comparison, Benton (who played the 0-1 technique the most among the three players in our sights) lands at the mean with an 8.7-percent pressure rate that tied for 23rd and an average tackle depth of 2.5 (T-49th). Heyward really struggled as a 0-1 technique, ranking dead last in average tackle depth (9.0) and 0.0-percent pressure rate. So if needed, Joseph-Day could be a plus player in the situation compared to the 2025 Steelers.
Joseph-Day even provided edge reps, substantially more than the 0-1 technique last year. Among defensive tackles, only six players had 100 edge run defense snaps, where he tied for third-best in average tackle depth (1.7). Just seven defensive tackles provided 50-plus edge pass rushes, where he ranked fifth with a 10.0-percent pressure rate.
The only players who were better in edge run defense were Bryan Bresee, Chris Jones, and tied with Jalen Redmond. Jeffery Simmons, Chris Jones, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Jalen Redmond were the only ones with a stronger edge pressure rate.
So, while Joseph-Day’s reputation for versatility was already a topic of discussion, this study revealed just how rare his usage and production were. He was a top 25 player in every aspect of the article and an above-average player across the entire defensive line in 2025. Sheds light on how underrated his addition to the Steelers is, and needed in many ways. Here’s to hoping it’s a similar season in 2026 in the Steel City.