After struggling to find an answer at the inside linebacker position for nearly a decade, the Pittsburgh Steelers have possibly the strongest room at the position in recent memory, having the likes of Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, Cole Holcomb, Mark Robinson, and Carson Bruener all on the depth chart. Queen and Wilson look to be the top two guys on the depth chart that will see the most time, while Robinson and Bruener are more special-teams players who will see defensive snaps in case of mass injuries to the position. However, when it comes to ILB3 on the depth chart, that role appears more up in the air between Harrison and Holcomb.
Harrison was signed this offseason to fill the role of Elandon Roberts, who played for Pittsburgh the past two seasons, but signed with the Las Vegas Raiders after not being brought back. Harrison signed a notable two-year deal worth $10 million, suggesting that he may be the leader in the clubhouse for snaps behind Queen and Wilson to start training camp.
Harrison brings experience and versatility to Pittsburgh, having played in 76 career games (34 starts) with the Ravens after being selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He is similar to Roberts as more of a downhill thumper against the run that also has dabbled at outside linebacker, helping keep outside contain while bringing some pass rush upside from the box as well as on the edge.
While he has great size and stopping power, Harrison can be inconsistent as a tackler and can struggle in coverage as Alex Kozora pointed out in his film room breakdown on Harrison after he signed with the team, making him more of a niche player that can contribute heavily on special teams rather than being relied on as an every down defender. The belief for many this offseason has been that Wilson and Harrison may split time, with Queen playing most of the snaps, allowing Wilson to play in more coverage situations. At the same time, Harrison can contribute more on early downs.
Pittsburgh did make a notable investment in Harrison this offseason, but they opted to keep Holcomb on the roster as he works back from a significant knee injury suffered in 2023, missing the entire 2024 season as a result. Holcomb took a pay cut to stay in Pittsburgh on a reworked deal, but reports are saying that Holcomb is fully healthy, which could make the competition for Pittsburgh’s ILB3 spot on the depth chart more interesting.
As I mentioned in a previous article on the site, the Steelers are “playing with house money” when it comes to Holcomb. He is a former starter in the role of a reserve for cheap, having the chance to earn his spot and more playing time here in a make-or-break year, coming back from injury. Prior to the season-ending injury, Holcomb looked like a sound starter in the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense, playing a majority of the snaps as Pittsburgh’s three-down linebacker.
When comparing Holcomb’s game to Harrison’s, Holcomb notably plays faster on tape. He possesses the play speed and recognition, which is evident in his pursuit of the football to the sidelines, as well as his movement skills in coverage. According to Pro Football Reference, Holcomb surrendered a 68.4% completion rate for 144 yards and zero touchdowns in coverage in 2023. Meanwhile, Harrison had a coverage grade of 30.6 according to Pro Football Focus, struggling in coverage situations where he wasn’t able to play more comfortably in underneath zone coverages.
Harrison has more size and strength to be a more physical, downhill presence against the run, which is a notable asset. Still, Holcomb didn’t perform poorly in that area in 2023, and given his strengths in other areas, an argument can be made that he may be a better choice as a next-man-up on the depth chart than Harrison in several situations.
The key variable will be how healthy Holcomb is following his previous injury, and whether any rust has accumulated from not playing live football for over a year. You could argue that Pittsburgh already has someone like Holcomb in Wilson ahead of him on the depth chart, making Harrison more of a complement to what they already have. Still, Pittsburgh is motivated to play their best guys, and Holcomb could fit that bill if fully healthy.
It would be fair to say that Harrison holds the lead right now for the ILB3 job after the offseason heading into training camp, given the contract he signed and how Holcomb needs to prove himself in training camp and the preseason. However, once the pads come on and the two are put in live football situations, that’s when the real winner of this battle on the depth chart will be decided, and Holcomb’s health likely will be the determining factor for who will be the victor.
