Derrick Harmon is the first-round rookie. Cam Heyward is the old head. Daniel Ekuale fits somewhere in between. Though he’s 31 years old, he’s a one-year starter who bided his time and battled injuries for years before getting his chance. Signed in free agency as an unheralded veteran, he’s already impressing defensive line coach Karl Dunbar.
“He’s come in with a lot of stuff,” Dunbar told reporters earlier this week via team-provided audio. “I think he started 15 games last year in New England. And he’s done a really good job. He can play nose tackle. He could play 4i. So he’s a good veteran to mix in that room.”
Dunbar highlighted Ekuale’s versatility, the “4i” he’s referencing meaning defensive end shaded to the inside of the offensive tackle; the standard alignment when Pittsburgh deploys its base 3-4 defense.
Pro Football Focus’ snap counts align with Dunbar’s comments. Per the site, Ekuale logged the plurality of his snaps at left end (289), followed by left defensive tackle (176), right defensive tackle (86), and right end (83). Our tape breakdown also supported that assessment.
“Ekuale can play on either side of the line of scrimmage and when used as a sub-package rusher early in the year, even aligned over center in the Patriots’ more exotic fronts,” we wrote in our breakdown hours after the signing was reported.
However, we noted Ekuale most often aligned to the strong side of the formation, highlighting his run defense ability.
A former undrafted free agent, Daniel Ekuale bounced around the league and struggled to find consistent playing time. Beginning in 2021, he stuck with New England as a reserve. An early 2023 injury derailed plans for a bigger role, but he captured a starting spot in 2024, finishing the season with 52 tackles and one sack. Pittsburgh inked him to a cheap one-year deal in mid-March.
With Harmon already seeing starter snaps, Ekuale is unlikely to replicate the 16 starts he made a year ago (Dunbar was off by one). But a backup role is best for him as excellent rotational run defense depth, a rung above what Isaiahh Loudermilk and Dean Lowry have provided. Those two remain on the roster but with less solid roster footing than Ekuale. Whether it was flashy moves like Harmon or quieter ones like Ekuale, Pittsburgh is searching for a strong defensive line top to bottom compared to a season ago.
