Should Karl Dunbar be on the hot seat for the Steelers’ lack of developmental defensive linemen?
Mike Tomlin hired Karl Dunbar to coach the Steelers’ defensive linemen in 2018. Since then, the only player he has developed to any meaningful degree is Keeanu Benton. Benton was a second-round pick just a year ago and the highest they’ve drafted a lineman in a decade.
But the closest thing to development the Steelers have had other than Benton since 2018 is Isaiah Buggs. And Buggs did better after he left Pittsburgh. Most of Karl Dunbar’s prospects come in the late rounds, like Joshua Frazier, Carlos Davis, and Isaiahh Loudermilk. But he has failed to turn DeMarvin Leal into a contributor, as well. At least players like Leterrius Walton and Daniel McCullers gave the Steelers a few years of yeoman work.
Another knock against Karl Dunbar is Larry Ogunjobi. The Steelers signed him as a veteran after Stephon Tuitt retired, but he has disappointed since arriving. He had more success in Cleveland and Cincinnati, but he has been pedestrian in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin has turned over quite a bit of the coaching staff in the past half-decade or so. At this point, Dunbar is his longest-tenured assistant short of special teams coordinator Danny Smith. But at what point does he face accountability for the current state of the Steelers’ defensive line?
Short of Cameron Heyward running on whatever fumes he has remaining to him and Benton, this defensive line is on the verge of collapse. Leal and Loudermilk and Logan Lee don’t look like they’re going to save it. Montravius Adams and Dean Lowry are veterans nearing the end of their careers. Where is the future of this Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line beyond Benton? How much responsibility falls on Dunbar’s shoulders for its absence?
Perhaps Leal and Loudermilk and Lee are simply not very good players, and Dunbar doesn’t deserve blame for drafting them. The reality is the Steelers rarely invest in the position earlier than the fifth round. Leal and Benton are more exceptions than the rule. Javon Hargrave was back in 2016 already. We know the Steelers need to make major investments in their defensive line, but does that include a new coach?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
