Given all the cap space they’ve cleared over the past month, Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for an active offseason. They’ll add everywhere, offense, defense, and likely special teams to target a punter who can flip fields more and frustrate less. And while there’s plenty the team evaluates, one thing is clear. The Steelers’ defense must get younger and faster.
The NFL’s oldest defense in 2023, Pittsburgh has already made strides and signs of achieving that. Patrick Peterson and Keanu Neal were two of the team’s several pre-free agency roster cuts, the Steelers shedding themselves of a 33-year-old corner who no longer could play on the outside and a box safety who hadn’t yet hit 30 but already had a limited and niche role.
Though injuries played a serious factor in last year’s defensive issues, even when healthy team speed was a concern. Peterson, Damontae Kazee, Neal, and Levi Wallace. Not exactly a track team. It’s one reason why the Steelers ran so much zone coverage and their lack of speed was an issue in the open field. It’s why Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen looked like The Flash running past Pittsburgh’s defense.
Speed isn’t the only thing. Being fast and fast alone doesn’t make for a great player. You need someone smart with good technique who takes the right angles and can tackle. Otherwise, you’re just a speed bump along the way. But it’s hard to mask a lack of speed and it’s sure difficult to teach at this stage.
But it’s a problem that can be solved. Free agency is strong in the secondary, especially at safety. The draft is strong at corner with plenty of speed. Clemson’s Nate Wiggins ran 4.28 40, Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell a 4.33, and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold ran a 4.51 with a bad hamstring. Slot corner, now an immediate need following Peterson’s release, is a fast group with Penn State’s Daequan Hardy (4.29), Rutgers’ Max Melton (4.39), and Michigan’s Mike Sainristil (4.47).
Inside linebacker is slated to be added, something Khan confirmed during the NFL Scouting Combine. That’s a trickier position as there have been great athletes with good tape who didn’t pan out, and the Steelers demand plenty from the position. But there’s an opportunity to find a strong coverage linebacker, too, and free agency will offer options. Carolina’s Frankie Luvu allowed just 60 percent of targets to be completed in 2023, lowest of any linebacker targeted at least 40 times. Houston’s Blake Cashman allowed the fourth-lowest quarterback rating against. And former top-five pick Devin White, whom Pittsburgh had interest in during the 2019 draft cycle, had the lowest QB rating against (65.5) and seventh-lowest completion percentage (67.4 percent). There’s a long discussion to be had about the context of these metrics and White’s tape (and potentially his attitude) has run hot and cold but Pittsburgh is a logical landing spot.
There’s much for the Steelers to accomplish this offseason. A stronger offensive line, a more potent and reliable offense, a run game that gets off to quicker starts. A defense that has more depth. But they have to be a faster group to play the way they want to play and not fall into being outschemed by offenses that boast plenty of speed.
