It’s no secret that one of the biggest parts of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise DNA is the defense. So many Steelers legends played on the defensive side of the ball, and a big part of being successful for Pittsburgh is having an elite defense.
While the majority of the focus of the 2023 offseason was on the evolution of the offense with a secondary focus on the cornerback position, the Steelers did not want to let the run defense fall by the wayside after a top-10 season in just about every defensive category in 2022.
So one of the players brought in was NT Breiden Fehoko. When he spoke with Mike Prisuta and Craig Wolfley on Training Camp Wrap Up Wednesday, he addressed what head coach Mike Tomlin has told him about the Steelers run defense and specifically his role when it comes to run drills in practice.
“Every time we take the field, he’s (Tomlin) like ‘B, this is your drill,” Fehoko said. “You have to be dominant. You have to let people know that the inside of the defense here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is nowhere to run.”
While Fehoko has only played in 19 career NFL games over his first three seasons in the league, it’s easy to see why Tomlin wants him to be a big part of the run defense. Fehoko is listed on the Steelers roster at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, which is a good size for causing problems in the middle of the line of scrimmage.
Fehoko only played in two games as a rookie with the Los Angeles Chargers and did not record any stats. Over the next two seasons, he compiled 36 total tackles along with one tackle for a loss over 17 games. In college, he played two years with Texas Tech and then his final two years with LSU. He finished with 71 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, two passes defended, and one interception in 36 career games.
When Fehoko took to the field last Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Steelers’ 27-17 win to open the preseason, he only played 15 snaps per Pro Football Focus’ data. He did knock a pass down in the fourth quarter on a third-and-seven play to force Tampa Bay to attempt a field goal, so he did his best to make an impact in a small amount of playing time.
While Fehoko may not have much in the way of NFL playing experience, it’s evident that Tomlin thinks highly of him to continue the Steelers’ dominant ways against the run. In 2022 alone, Pittsburgh allowed the ninth-fewest yards on the ground with 1,838, the sixth-lowest yards per carry at 4.2, tied for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed with seven, and allowed the fifth-fewest rushing first-down conversions with 95.
It remains to be seen how much of a role Fehoko has during the 2023 season, but Tomlin wants to ensure that the defense continues to stifle the running game of any opponent. It seems he believes that Fehoko is a big part of accomplishing that.
