The Pittsburgh Steelers have traditionally been one of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to getting after the quarterback. While the pass rush took a step back in the second half of last season, Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman believes that the unit will be undoubtedly be elite in 2025. On The PFF NFL Show, he pointed to the additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay as a big reason why the Steelers can return to an elite pass-rushing unit.
“You look at this pass rush, if you get behind the Steelers in the fourth, you have a major problem,” Wasserman said. “Give this pass rush time to get there, because that was the only thing for me, when you’re looking at the Steelers in the second half of last season, just get rid of the ball quickly enough. This year, you may not be able to do that with Ramsey and Slay, and if this pass rush just has that extra half second, which is a long time when you’re talking about the trenches, you’re looking at a team that without question is gonna have an elite pass rush again this year.”
The reinforcements in the secondary could be just enough to give the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward more time to finish the play and actually bring the quarterback down. Miscommunication issues in the secondary allowed teams to beat the Steelers with the quick game in the second half of last season, and the pass rush was neutralized. But with one of the best cornerback rooms in football with Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr., as well as two strong coverage linebackers in Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson, it’s going to be harder to get the ball out quick against the Steelers.
The team can’t afford the same communication issues that plagued it toward the end of last season, but it’s something the group has been working to fix. Watt is still one of the game’s best pass rushers, while Highsmith has developed his craft and helped form one of the best EDGE tandems in football. Heyward can generate pressure from the interior, and if Keeanu Benton can take a leap as a pass rusher and Derrick Harmon gets after the passer like he did in college, the Steelers will have a ferocious front seven that can keep coming after the opposing quarterback.
Having cornerbacks who can take receivers away for just a bit longer should make the jobs of the pass rushers a lot easier, and it’s not hard to see why Wasserman believes that the Steelers could once again be an elite pass-rush unit.
