Whether it’s 2025 or 1975, the top priority of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has remained the same. Stop the run. After getting rolled to 299 yards by the Baltimore Ravens’ ground game in the Steelers’ Wild Card loss and generally being ineffective at stopping the run during the team’s five-game losing streak, Art Rooney II wants the team to get back to the franchise’s roots.
Multiple times during a Monday interview with a gaggle of team beat writers, Rooney made it clear Pittsburgh’s defense must get better up front.
“I am not a defensive coach, so I can’t go into great detail on our defensive schemes,” Rooney said in comments aired by 93.7 The Fan Monday afternoon. “I would just say that if you’re gonna stop the run, you gotta be disciplined in your gaps. And sometimes we weren’t and not sure why. So there are things like that I think we have to look at. And I’m sure that the coaching staff will be looking at that.”
Over the Steelers’ final four regular-season games, they allowed 488 rushing yards, 19th in the league. Compare that to the first 13 weeks of the year when Pittsburgh gave up just 1,190-yards, fourth-best in football. But the numbers themselves don’t do it justice. The tape told the story. Pittsburgh couldn’t get off the field against the Philadelphia Eagles, who ran for 131 yards even as RB Saquon Barkley was moderately contained. By the fourth quarter, a tired Steelers defense waved the white flag as the Eagles ran out the final 10 minutes of the game. Pittsburgh finished with just two second-half possessions.
The playoff loss exposed the Steelers’ defense the most. Essentially fully healthy even if some players were battling the flu, Pittsburgh couldn’t stop the run early or late. From the Ravens’ opening possession, the Steelers were creamed at the line of scrimmage. Baltimore ended the day with 299 rushing yards, only missing out on 300 due to a final kneel down that lost a yard. RB Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards, more than any other back had done to Pittsburgh in a postseason game. Their collective rushing yards were also a record against the Steelers.
For an old-school owner like Rooney, who loves running the ball and stopping the run, it set off alarms.
“It starts with stopping the run,” he said in opening comments before any questions. “And we didn’t do that down the stretch. So we need to figure out how we get stronger probably on the defensive front.”
Run defense is an 11-man job but Rooney hinted the focus would be on the d-line, not the linebackers.
“On the defensive side, I think our linebacking core is still a strength,” he said
With T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig at outside linebacker, there’s little need for big investments there. Inside linebacker is spottier with Patrick Queen’s up-and-down first year. But he’ll remain the team’s every-down linebacker while Payton Wilson will look to grow heading into his second year. The team could also look to re-sign run thumper Elandon Roberts.
The defensive line is where changes could occur. Larry Ogunjobi is a potential cap casualty and though Cam Heyward had a fabulous year, he’s set to turn 36 in May and won’t play forever. Depth behind them is thin and Pittsburgh doesn’t have starters-in-waiting.
Despite the Steelers’ multiple needs, defensive line is the pond they could fish in with the 21st overall pick. The 2025 draft class is deep along the d-line, giving Pittsburgh plenty of options. Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Ole Miss’ Walter Nolan, and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart are just some of the candidates who could intrigue the team. If the Steelers plan to kick NT Keeanu Benton out to play defensive end, prospects like Michigan’s Kenneth Grant and Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams become options.
Expect the team to do its homework on the big guys up front this draft cycle at Rooney’s behest as the Steelers try to turn old school again.
