The Pittsburgh Steelers have made significant upgrades on both sides of the football so far this offseason. That includes the team's skill positions, with the acquisitions of Michael Pittman Jr., Jamel Dean, Rico Dowdle, and Jaquan Brisker. They have been a little slow beefing up the trenches however, as their only move so far has been defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day. Defensive line wasn't a huge need for the team, but they did need some depth. Joseph-Day has been a quality starter in the NFL for some time now. He will be a very nice fit for the Steelers, as he can play anywhere on the interior front.
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Sebastian Joseph-Day on the field during a road game for the Tennessee Titans.
Joseph-Day has been around the league, as the Steelers will be his fifth team. He is the epitome of a 3-4 defensive lineman, standing at 6'4", 310 pounds, with 34 1/2 inch arms. He can even play nose tackle, which may be the team's biggest need on the defensive line. Keeanu Benton is not a bad player, but he isn't a true nose tackle. Day likely won't be a nose tackle either, as he hasn't played the position consistently since 2020.
Day is 30 years old, but he's coming off a decent season after playing for one of the league's worst teams. He had 41 tackles and two sacks in 2025. With the Steelers, he will be a nice rotational piece, but his biggest help to the team could come in helping the other young players. The franchise has a young nucleus of defensive linemen, with Benton, Derrick Harmon, and Yahya Black.
Steelers superstar defender Cameron Heyward recently spoke about the Joseph-Day signing on his podcast, Not Just Football With Cam Heyward. Heyward mentioned that he is excited about the signing and goes into Joseph-Day's skill set. He also talks about how Joseph-Day will be a huge help, as another veteran in the room, using his experience in the NFL to help Harmon, Benton, and Black.
"You know, I think it's a extra set of eyes for what were all, you know, doing. You know it's not just me saying it, he can provide leadership as well," Heyward said. "And he has eyes around the league, dude has experienced a lot. He's played with guys, like Aaron Donald. He's played with guys like Ndamukong Suh, he's played with Jeffery Simmons... He's probably stolen some stuff along the way, and it made him better."
Joseph-Day has played alongside some serious talent; he spent his first three seasons alongside one of the greatest of all-time, Aaron Donald. Ndamukong Suh was one of the most dominant defensive linemen of the 2010s, and Jeffery Simmons has been among the NFL's best interior defensive linemen since his breakout in 2021.
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Steelers' Derrick Harmon (99) and Yahya Black (78) during rookie minicamp in 2025.
Joseph-Day will be able to share and implement new teachings with Harmon, Benton, and Black, just as they were implemented with him.
Steelers Still Need A Nose Tackle, But Now Have Breathing Room
As previously mentioned, Joseph-Day can play anywhere on the interior. He will be suited best as a "positionless" rotational piece. Benton is much younger, but would be a better 4i/5tech, so it remains to be seen how the team will approach the nose tackle position. Benton and Joseph-Day could rotate in the middle, as both guys would be fresher more often. Benton could bump over and give Harmon and Heyward a break as well.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (95) Intercepts a pass against the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
There's one nose tackle on the market that could fill the position void for Pittsburgh, and that's D.J. Reader. Reader, like Joseph-Day, has been a solid player for a while and would be a nice piece. If not Reader, then the Steelers would have to look to the upcoming NFL Draft, potentially a day-two or day-three selection. If the Steelers want to stay put with what they have, that would likely be ok, but a capable nose tackle could go a long way in fixing their run defense issues.
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