Pittsburgh Steelers NT Breiden Fehoko was one of the team’s toughest cuts this offseason, but after an injury to Cameron Heyward, Fehoko was signed to the 53-man roster today. Before practice today, he talked about why he chose to stick with Pittsburgh and why he wants to stay with the team for a while.
“It’s kind of one of the only places that cares about nose tackles. They care about physical football, it’s the AFC North, and just talking to Coach Tomlin and Omar [Khan] and all those guys after cut day, I wanted to be here,” Fehoko said via Steelers.com. “This is a place I want to grow in. This is a place I want to be a part of long-term-wise and ultimately just get my game better. Being around Coach [Karl] Dunbar and Coach [Teryl] Austin and all those guys. I love it here. I love the culture here and I love everything about this place.”
In Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme, the nose tackle position is especially important, and in the context of the AFC North, it’s a valuable position. It’s lost some value around the league, but it remains as important as ever in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have a long line of talented nose tackles, from Mean Joe Greene to Casey Hampton, and while Fehoko isn’t at that level, he’s a talented run-plugger and should help out Pittsburgh’s run defense that has been lackluster over the first two weeks.
Fehoko’s still young, entering the league in 2020, and has three years of experience with the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s got a lot of room for growth, and that’s something he can find in Pittsburgh. Dunbar is one of the best defensive line coaches in the league, and Austin has a lot of experience running defenses around the league.
The Steelers are a team that can utilize Fehoko’s talent and look to continue to build him up to grow in their defense. Getting experience on the field this year will be valuable for Fehoko to keep developing, and I think he can be an instant impact player for the Steelers.
He doesn’t offer much when it comes to the pass rush, but the Steelers’ run defense has been a major weakness. Fehoko’s ability to take up space and defend the run could help the linebackers get downhill and make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.
It’s a valuable tool that the Steelers are going to need with a lot of talented running backs on their schedule this year. Hopefully, Fehoko can live up to the run-stopping ability he’s shown throughout his career.
