If there’s been one position the Steelers have addressed early in the draft over the last two years, it’s been on the offensive line. This year, things look a little different. The offensive line looks more promising. Now, the defensive line and quarterback are two areas that Pittsburgh seems destined to look at with the 21st overall selection.
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo thinks Pittsburgh should address the defense early and often in the draft if it wants to maintain its defense-first identity.
“If you’re looking to continue being this team that’s gonna be strong defensively, you’re going to have to start replacing guys like Cam Heyward, other guys, Minkah Fitzpatrick,” Fittipaldo said on The North Shore Drive Podcast on Monday. “You have to pull the band-aid off. You can’t just say, ‘okay, Cam Heyward made the All-Pro team at 35, he’s gonna do it again at 36’. He might, but it doesn’t always work out that way. The Steelers are kind of at the tipping point right now, the way I see it… I just think it’s time they address this defense in the draft, it’s been a while since they’d do that.”
Fittipaldo makes some good points here. The Steelers have gotten by with their defense over the years, especially since Ben Roethlisberger retired. However, their stars on that side of the ball aren’t getting younger.
Cam Heyward, as Fittipaldo mentions, turned in a terrific season. However, he’s 35 years old. He could repeat that success in 2025, but it’s far from guaranteed. If the Steelers don’t prioritize the interior defensive line in the draft this week, they will have to rely on Heyward in his mid-30s with little depth behind him. We saw how that worked out for them at the end of the 2024 season.
Heyward’s not the only one, though. T.J. Watt is now on the older side of 30. Even Minkah Fitzpatrick had something of a down year in 2024, and he’s now 28. The clock is starting to tick on this unit, which has carried the Steelers for so long. Their five-game losing streak to end last season is a sign that Pittsburgh may need to reinvest in that side of the ball.
It would be much easier for the Steelers to do exactly that if they had any semblance of security at the quarterback position. They’ll say they’re comfortable with Mason Rudolph, but that may just be politician speak. With Aaron Rodgers yet to make a decision, prioritizing the defense is harder.
With that said, the Steelers could also take a QB on Day 2 of the draft. In that case, they could still grab DL prospects like Derrick Harmon or Walter Nolen. Or even a CB in Jahdae Barron. If they want to continue to win with their defense amid the uncertainty at QB, they might have no other choice.
