The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled across the board defensively in 2025. However, the secondary was potentially the most disappointing group for the Steelers last year, with a couple of notable offseason additions failing to live up to expectations.<\/p>\n
Thus, it\u2019s a unit they made a few additions to this offseason. But there are still too many questions for former Steeler Trai Essex to believe it\u2019s any better than Baltimore\u2019s secondary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to rank us as the number one secondary unit in the AFC North. But I can\u2019t right now. Because our safety situation is not solidified,\u201d Essex said Wednesday on his Snap Count podcast<\/a>. \u201cObviously, the Ravens jump off the top of the list because they have Kyle Hamilton\u2026 It also helps they have Malaki Starks and Marlon Humphrey.\u201d<\/p>\n Kyle Hamilton is one of the top defenders in all of football, and Malaki Starks is coming off a pretty solid rookie season of his own. Humphrey is starting to get up in age, but he\u2019s just one year removed from an All-Pro season. It will be interesting to see how that group fares under a new defensive head coach in Jesse Minter, but it isn\u2019t short on talent.<\/p>\n The Ravens aren\u2019t the only AFC North team with a better secondary than the Steelers, in the eyes of Essex. He also thinks Cleveland has a better unit, and ranked the Steelers third in the division.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have Denzel Ward, they have Grant Delpit, LSU kid, they have Ronnie Hickman. And I think those are good players, a good trio to build around. And that gives them a slight edge over us,\u201d Essex said. \u201cIt\u2019s just too many unknowns; that\u2019s why I give the Browns a slight edge.\u201d<\/p>\n While their record hasn\u2019t shown it, the Browns have quietly been building a solid roster. With Denzel Ward, who wants to stay in Cleveland<\/a> long-term, they have one big cornerstone to lean on. Essex mentions Delpit and Hickman, and they join recently drafted Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to form a solid young core.<\/p>\n If all their talent pans out, the Steelers have a secondary that can certainly compete with those two. But last season\u2019s additions didn\u2019t pan out, and there is some room to question this group, something Essex would agree with<\/a>. The depth feels solid at cornerback, but there are some questions at safety.<\/p>\n