Karl Dunbar is now among the longest-tenured members of Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff in Pittsburgh, presiding over Cameron Heyward and the rest of the defensive line. He replaced long-time defensive line coach John Mitchell in 2018 and has done his best to maintain a certain standard.
Heyward spent most of his formative years learning under Mitchell, but his career really hit another gear under Dunbar. He made his first All-Pro team in Dunbar’s first season in 2018 and has made it almost every year since then. That’s not to diminish Mitchell’s astounding legacy, but Heyward paid homage to his current coach yesterday on NFL Total Access.
“When you talk about Karl Dunbar, he’s just an unbelievable teacher”, Heyward said of Karl Dunbar. “He takes time to really help you study. I can definitely say he helped me continue to grow in my development as a player and as a person off the field. He’s constantly challenging us”.
Dunbar actually learned at Mitchell’s feet. When Dunbar played on LSU’s defensive line, Mitchell was his defensive coordinator. The Steelers even drafted him once upon a time, though he never made the team as an eighth-round pick.
Oh yeah, and Tomlin’s defensive line coach as defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2006—you already know who. These sorts of connections are rather common in Pittsburgh, whether under Tomlin or before his time.
But despite being a part of the Steelers family in a way, Dunbar has also earned his place on the staff, in no small part thanks to helping Heyward reach new heights. Not all of his players have developed as hoped, but Heyward praised the group as a whole.
“You look at our group, it’s me, T.J. [Watt], Alex Highsmith, Larry Ogungobi, even a young kid like Keeanu Benton”, he said. “He’s all helped us achieve so much. What we do throughout the week is what you get in the game, and it allows us to stay consistent because he’s so good”.
The defensive line coach does work heavily with the edge rushers even though the Steelers have an outside linebackers coach. Highsmith sang Dunbar’s praises this past July during training camp, for example, for the work he’s done with them.
The 2023 season did not represent a banner year for the defensive line, however. Heyward’s groin injury all season played a huge part in that. But Ogunjobi has still not played up to the level he showed before signing as a free agent in 2022. Benton is a promising young player, but others like DeMarvin Leal have not progressed.
There is a good chance the Steelers add another young defensive lineman to throw at Dunbar’s feet. They have drafted one on Day Two of the draft in consecutive seasons with Benton and Leal. The last one they took before that was Javon Hargrave in 2016. But it’s that time to restock the group and see what he can do with them.
