Like the Steelers, every other team in the NFL was watching the Super Bowl, searching for lessons. They surely found one in the Eagles’ front four, as Philadelphia’s pass rush was the true MVP. NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah concurs, arguing that this year’s class presents a particularly suitable opportunity.
“This game was absolutely dominated by Eagles front four”, Jeremiah observed. “Good news for the rest of the league- this draft is loaded with DL. Good draft to double up at the position”. While he wasn’t speaking directly to the Steelers’ front office, he might as well have been.
The Steelers had good fortune along the defensive line for some years, Cameron Heyward chief among their blessings. Even at 36, he still turned in an elite season in 2024, but the problem is, who else is there? Gone are the days of Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave in their primes, or even Tyson Alualu in the middle.
It’s true that the Steelers invested in the defensive line in the second round just two years ago. While Keeanu Benton has been a nice player, however, some wonder if he is not better suited on the outside. And outside of Benton, they haven’t invested a top-three pick at the position since Hargrave in 2016. Their last top-two pick was over a decade ago in Tuitt.
The 2025 NFL Draft is a particularly good class in a couple areas that ought to suit Pittsburgh well. As long as they don’t re-sign Najee Harris, they should be in prime position to land another running back. And I find myself in agreement with Daniel Jeremiah about the trenches. By all means, the Steelers should double up there, and rebuild the room while preparing for the future.
After all, Heyward isn’t going to play forever, even if he might have a couple good years left. Do the Steelers have a single player in the trenches whom you can say will be a blue-chip player two years from now? Five years from now?
Now, to the Steelers’ credit, they certainly haven’t avoided the trenches. The only thing is, they have prioritized the offensive line more than the defensive line. In the first two draft classes under Omar Khan and Andy Weidl, the Steelers have used four out of five first-and second-round picks on linemen. Three have been offensive linemen, while one, Benton, has been a defensive lineman.
While they wait for their young offensive linemen to develop, the Steelers must aim to cultivate the defensive line in the same way. It’s clear that solutions like Larry Ogunjobi and late-round picks and ‘tweeners is not cutting it anymore.
The Eagles have prioritized their defensive line in recent years, and last night, it paid dividends. With Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, Milton Williams and Josh Sweat, they terrorized the Chiefs. When was the last time the Steelers’ defensive front made an elite quarterback look like one of their own quarterbacks?
