The Steelers rebuilt their coaching staff after Mike Tomlin’s resignation, and DL Sebastian Joseph-Day reflects new DC Patrick Graham’s vision. A seven-year veteran, he signed a two-year, $11 million contract to join this defensive line. Playing a variety of roles across four teams over the years, he already likes the plan his new coach has for him.
“It was all really positive conversation and things to look forward to”, Joseph-Day said about his conversations with Graham in an interview with Missi Matthews for the Steelers’ website. “I’m really excited, the way he’s gonna use me and the way he sees my skill set and what I can do to help”.
A 2018 sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, Sebastian Joseph-Day has built an admirable career. A rookie starter at nose tackle playing alongside Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh, he experienced a crash course about defensive line play from the outset. And in his third and final season with the Rams, he won the Super Bowl. Having lost three Super Bowl winners from last year’s roster, that insight is valuable for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since people were saying “Damn, Daniel”. At least, I trust none of you are still saying that, right?
Joseph-Day has averaged roughly 500 snaps per season over his seven-year career. He has 90 career starts in 105 games played, including 22 out of 34 games over the past two years with the Titans. Playing more on the edge there, as he said, was a little different for him, but not out of his wheelhouse.
What is Patrick Graham’s vision for him, though? Do they see him more as an interior player or a traditional five-technique? Or perhaps what they really want from him is to stretch his versatility. He could, in theory, be the first lineman off the bench in any scenario, end or nose.
If that’s the vision for him, then it figures to be most similar to Tyson Alualu, perhaps. Alualu played everywhere, though late in his career, he really found a home at nose tackle. Sebastian Joseph-Day has a similar giddy-up in his step with 15.5 career sacks and 43 quarterback hits, though. Alualu, in comparison, had 17.5 at the same point in his career before signing with the Steelers.
Alualu was also younger, slightly, turning 30 the year he signed with the Steelers. Joseph-Day just turned 31. But Alualu managed to play until he was 36. A major injury at age 34 derailed his final chapter, but if Joseph-Day can stay healthy, can he play for a similarly long time?
Key to that is having a defensive coordinator who has the right vision for your skill set. Joseph-Day seems to think Patrick Graham knows what to do with him. Unfortunately, he didn’t talk at all about what that was. He did talk a lot about his ability and willingness to do anything, though, so maybe that was a hint.