Steelers Have Big Task for 2026 Season That Isn't Being Talked About Enough

The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2026 offseason with a new direction for the team. The Steelers hired their new Head Coach, Mike McCarthy, and with that, McCarthy hired a brand new coaching staff. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham plans to keep Pittsburgh's elite defensive identity alive this season. The Steelers have some key decisions to make surrounding their defense, including extending their star cornerback, Joey Porter Jr. 

In the 2026 offseason, the Steelers find themselves with many holes in their secondary; they have two free agent corners that played significant time in 2025 in James Pierre and Asante Samuel Jr. that could be options to re-sign or holes in the defense that need to be addressed. The Steelers need to look in the NFL Draft to pair some secondary help with their star, Porter.

Porter made significant strides towards superstardom in the 2025 season, where he was absolutely phenomenal. The young star limited his penalties, when a flag was only thrown on him six times. This was a ginormous improvement from his 2024 season, where he was penalized 17 times, leading the NFL. In 2026, Porter will look to just keep getting better as he awaits a contract extension. 

However, there are question marks surrounding who Porter will be playing alongside, as the aforementioned talent that surrounded him last season could be on the move. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo talked about the need to address this area of concern. 

"There is a need there to develop a long-term starter at that position eventually. Slot corner and free safety are positions to address here [in the draft]," Fittipaldo said. 

The Steelers could find themselves lacking secondary talent based on free agency and the particular roster moves that could occur, like Jalen Ramsey potentially being cut. This leaves Porter and Brandin Echols as the lone cornerbacks in the room should Pierre and Samuel walk, and Ramsey is cut or traded. Nonetheless, the Steelers would lack talent at these positions no matter what. 

The Steelers could find quality talent to add to their secondary in the first-round. The Steelers' first-round pick seems to be very expendable as the team planned on using the pick on a potential starting quarterback this year, but the class did not live up to expectations. 

That being said, the team could go many directions with their premium selections. The common theme seems to be receiver, but if high-quality secondary help drops down, or if the Steelers want to trade up, it could largely benefit the team. The Steelers are a team known for their defense, historically, and a weak secondary would not fit that mold. 

Steelers Have Plenty Of Options In The 2025 Draft To Pair With Porter

The Steelers find themselves in a rather good spot in terms of what positions of need are deepest in this year's draft. The team needs secondary help, receivers, and linemen on both sides of the ball. 

This draft is deep in all of these areas; however, a premium cornerback is achievable with the Steelers' first-round pick. A potential option that could be available from the 21st spot could be Mansoor Delane from LSU or Avieon Terrell from Clemson, should he fall a bit. The Steelers could trade up to achieve a top-tier player in Tennessee's Jermod McCoy. No matter what the Steelers decide, they need to add a player that makes their secondary younger and more talented. 

The Steelers have made some mistakes in their free agent signings in their secondary over the past few seasons. A huge bust was Darius Slay last season, as he was touted to be a starter for the team. He was cut in the middle of the season, and along came the emergence of Pierre. 

The Steelers have to draft and develop talent as they did with Porter and, to a degree, Pierre. They can't rely on a one-year deal with aging vets in their secondary if they want to make the jump to a Super Bowl contender. 

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