Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers hoped for a big season from Patrick Queen, one of their prized offseason acquisitions. Unfortunately, he didn\u2019t quite live up to those expectations after some terrific years with the Baltimore Ravens. On a defense that doesn\u2019t seem afraid to try some new things in 2025, ESPN\u2019s Mina Kimes believes Queen is the most crucial member.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would argue Patrick Queen might be the single most important player on the Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 defense this year,\u201d Kimes said on NFL Live<\/a> on Monday. \u201cThis is his second year in the system, they brought him in to quarterback the middle of the field\u2026 If they\u2019re not consistently not displaced, the way they were last year, I just don\u2019t see how it gets better.\u201d<\/p>\n There are a lot of big names on this unit. Of course, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward are there, as well as other acquisitions in Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. Yet, Queen is the quarterback of the defense, and he\u2019s got to have the unit running better than last year.<\/p>\n There were plenty of issues as the defense\u2014and really the whole team\u2014fell apart down the stretch in 2024. Those weren\u2019t all Queen\u2019s fault, but the Steelers couldn\u2019t stop the run and had far too many miscommunications against the pass. Each of those issues involved the linebackers.<\/p>\n That said, Patrick Queen\u2019s job may be easier with the defense around him having more talent. On the line, Pittsburgh added Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, and Jack Sawyer. Each of those will help the run defense at the first level, making it easier for Queen. In the secondary, Ramsey and Slay bring some stability as well.<\/p>\n Despite all that help, Queen knows that he and the rest of the defense need to be better<\/a>. Queen did what he could against the run last year, making 129 tackles and missing just 6.5-percent of those attempts. Against the pass, things must improve. Queen allowed a completion rate of 76.3-percent and a passer rating of 114.0 when targeted in 2024. As the heartbeat of the defense, that can\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n That said, there\u2019s reason to believe it will improve. Playing alongside Elandon Roberts for most of last season, Queen had a lot of ground to cover against the pass. Now, Payton Wilson is set to start next to Queen, who brings much more skill in coverage, as he would tell you himself.<\/a><\/p>\n