The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2025 offseason with a clear mission: improve their defensive line. They drafted Oregon DL Derrick Harmon in the first round for the 2025 NFL Draft while also selecting Iowa DL Yahya Black in the fifth round to bolster the trenches with youth. They also went out and signed Daniel Ekuale, Esezi Otomewo, and Domenique Davis as free agents to add to the mix of a room including Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, Dean Lowry, and Logan Lee.
Heyward, Benton, and Harmon are safe as locks to likely start this season, but as for the rest of the defensive line room, a dogfight is shaping up for training camp and the preseason to see who can claim the final 3-4 spots on the depth chart.
The Steelers have traditionally kept six defensive linemen on their 53-man roster, with occasional exceptions where they keep seven, as they did in 2023, or even eight, as they did last season. This typically involves having six defensive ends and two nose tackles on the initial roster. The unit’s play will go a long way in dictating how many defensive linemen Pittsburgh will keep this time around in 2025.
Assuming Esezi Otomewo and Domenique Davis are more camp bodies that will likely get cut, that leaves us six names fighting for realistically 3-4 spots. Black is a rookie fifth-round pick, so he is likely safe the same way Lee was a season ago, bringing impressive size and play strength to the table, standing 6056, 336 pounds. GM Omar Khan didn’t think Black would still be on the board when Pittsburgh selected him at 164th overall in the fifth round, seeing him as a sturdy defensive end that could also possibly kick inside and play some nose tackle due to his sheer size and power at the point of attack.
Pittsburgh re-signed Loudermilk to a one-year deal back in March, bringing him back for extra depth prior to the draft. However, the contract qualifies as a four-year player qualifying contract, and Pittsburgh would only be on the hook for $167,500, which is his signing bonus, if they decide to cut him. Loudermilk has been a low-ceiling, moderate-floor player during his time in the league, bringing virtually no pass rush upside but bringing a big body as a capable run defender to the table.
Lowry is basically the same archetype of player as Loudermilk, but is just a few years older. He doesn’t have the same juice as a pass rusher he had during his earlier years in the league with Green Bay, but he knows how to take on blocks against the run and eat space. Still, Lowry ranked 171st out of 174 defensive linemen overall with at least 100 snaps according to Pro Football Focus, a statistic you don’t want to find yourself a part of. Seeing as Pittsburgh brought back Loudermilk and brought in Ekuale, who serves a similar role, Lowry’s odds to make the roster look slim… at best.
As for Ekuale, the former New England Patriot started 16 games last season, posting 52 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack across 722 defensive snaps with a 60.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. When looking at the contract he signed this offseason, it would be fair to assume Pittsburgh has more invested in Ekuale as Pittsburgh would incur a $1.630 million dead money cap hit for cutting Ekuale this offseason compared to $167,500 for Loudermilk or $625,000 for Lowry while also saving $2.5 million against the cap prior to roster displacement with his release.
Pittsburgh knows what Lowry and Loudermilk bring to the table, while Ekuale is a new face that has a chance to be what the other two were supposed to be for Pittsburgh as depth to shore up the run defense. Logan Lee has yet to play a snap for Pittsburgh. He may be a candidate to be brought back on the practice squad at this point, as his strengths as a player are his run defense, with limited upside as a pass rusher. Still, with a veteran like Ekuale and a young developmental guy like Black in the fold, Lee is in danger of getting phased out too if he doesn’t have a strong preseason.
The last name that is battling for a roster spot is DeMarvin Leal. The former third-round pick has disappointed through his first three seasons in Pittsburgh. He has failed to find a role on defense while seeing time at both defensive end and outside linebacker, having 33 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and four pass deflections across 432 regular-season snaps. It’s not all Leal’s fault, as Pittsburgh has jostled him around so much rather than developing him at one position. He’s also battled several injuries, including a neck injury that ended his season last year after just five games. Leal has called this a redemption year for himself and came into OTAs noticeably bigger, but he needs to improve upon recent history and show he has that pass-rush upside that Pittsburgh drafted him for to secure a roster spot.
The defensive line battle is shaping up to be a fierce one in training camp as multiple guys are on the edge of either making the roster or getting cut. The practices, as well as the preseason games, will go a long way in deciding who wins this dogfight and sticks in the DL room for the 2025 season.
