The Pittsburgh Steelers made another move to bolster their defensive line depth, signing DT Esezi Otomewo to a one-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.
A fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, Otomewo has appeared in nine NFL games with two starts. In 2024, he appeared in four games with the Jacksonville Jaguars, making both those starts and recording four tackles with a pair of QB hits. He logged at least 20 defensive snaps in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns, Week 5 versus the Indianapolis Colts, and Week 6 against the Chicago Bears.
After being waived by Minnesota, he spent the 2023 season on the Jaguars’ practice squad before seeing gameday action in 2024.
In his rookie season with the Vikings, Otomewo played in five games with five tackles. Over his career, he’s logged 179 defensive snaps and another 88 on special teams.
As Dave Bryan noted, most of Otomewo’s snaps have come in the B-gap, likely aligning him as a three-tech between guard and tackle.
In limited 2024 action, Pro Football Focus graded him far better as a pass rusher (28th) than run defender (212th). His overall grade ranked 171st of 219 total defensive linemen.
Coming out of Minnesota, Esezi Otomewo checked in at 6052, 282 pounds with 34.5-inch arms. He showed off his athleticism with a 5.01 40-yard dash, 35.5-inch vertical, and 9’4″ broad jump. In college, he recorded 81 tackles (14 TFL) and 7.5 sacks from 2018-2021.
Otomewo is the third defensive lineman to sign or re-sign with the Steelers since Sunday. The team signed former New England Patriot Daniel Ekuale and brought back Isaiahh Loudermilk after four years with the team.
All three will bolster depth though the team still lacks a starter to play alongside Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton. An early draft pick is the most likely path to filling that role. Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant (who I linked to Pittsburgh in my second mock draft), and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen are all possible first-round solutions.
