The Pittsburgh Steelers did well to sign veteran DL Sebastian Joseph-Day, a steady, proven, and versatile run stuffer. I have no issues with the signing whatsoever. Adding Joseph-Day makes Pittsburgh five-deep along the defensive line. But the team will likely carry seven on the 53-man roster, and the unit needs one more type of player: a pass rusher.<\/p>\n
No question, run defense comes first. That\u2019s central to how the Steelers win. Can\u2019t stop the run, never get the chance to rush the passer. Pittsburgh has fortified that group. There are four defensive linemen whose run defense is stronger than their pass rush: Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, and Joseph-Day.<\/p>\n
Heyward\u2019s bull remains effective, but his sack production fell off in \u201925 and seems unlikely to return. Harmon has the chance to become a good rusher, but his calling card is run defense. Black might grow, too, but his pass-rush ceiling is capped, and Joseph-Day is a run stuffer through and through. Soon to be 31, his game isn\u2019t changing.<\/p>\n
Another pass rusher is in order. Keeanu Benton broke out in 2025 with 5.5 sacks and high-level reps. His club\/over is a potent move<\/a>, and his loose hips squeeze through gaps. Pittsburgh still needs more.<\/p>\n Last year, the Steelers\u2019 defensive line combined for just 13 sacks from only four people: Benton with 5.5, Heyward 3.5, Harmon 3, and Esezi Otomewo 1. Only one, Benton, reached double-digit quarterback hits. That\u2019s not enough. In 2024, the group produced just 12.5 sacks. Even though Pittsburgh\u2019s main source of pass rush comes from its EDGE rushers, its defensive line must step up.<\/p>\n Signed back to the team, maybe Otomewo could be that guy. He\u2019s an above-average athlete who rotated into Pittsburgh\u2019s one-down linemen looks last season when the defense put three outside linebackers on the field. Still, Otomewo isn\u2019t a lock to make the roster, and the Steelers should keep searching.<\/p>\n Paying for pass rush in free agency is expensive. Most viable options are gone. The draft is a smarter place to search. Unfortunately, the \u201926 draft class isn\u2019t billowing with great interior defensive linemen. There are a handful of run-stuffing options. Ohio State\u2019s Kayden McDonald is the cream of the crop. Cincinnati\u2019s Dontay Corleone is a Day Two candidate, while Iowa State\u2019s Domonique Orange, \u201cThe Big Citrus\u201d as they call him,<\/a> is a later-round option.<\/p>\n Who are the pass rushers? Florida\u2019s Caleb Banks, Clemson\u2019s Peter Woods, Texas AM\u2019s Albert Regis, and Oklahoma\u2019s Gracen Halton are names to know. But all come with drawbacks. Banks played in just three games this season and broke his foot before the Combine. He\u2019s a projection. With sub-32-inch arms, Woods, Regis, and Halton all severely lack the length Pittsburgh usually needs from the position.<\/p>\n