Steelers Made A Huge Mistake Not Addressing This Position Group Early In The 2026 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some blunders on their run defense, especially in 2025. The team was in the middle of the pack when it came to rushing yards allowed per game and yards per carry. However, some games saw the team being dominated by the opposition's rushing attack. The defensive front lacks a clear anchor on the defensive line. A nose tackle who can eat up double and triple teams to allow linebackers and other defensive linemen to make big plays. The Steelers lack their Casey Hampton-esque player, and it showed.

Pittsburgh drafted University of Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon in 2025. He was a solid addition to the front seven, but he's not a true nose tackle. The Steelers lined up Keeanu Benton at the spot often and he's undersized and not extremely familiar with the position. He serves better as a pass-rusher and not as a run-stuffer. In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers had the opportunity to get a player who fit the mold at nose tackle, however, they didn't make that a priority. 

Christopher Carter, a Steelers beat writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that this was one of the biggest mistakes the organization made in the draft. He shared this on his Steelers chat where he answers readers' questions. Carter answered a question pertaining to whether or not Pittsburgh improved its run defense throughout the offseason, including the draft. 

"I do think this might've been one of the bigger misses of the draft. Less so about linebackers and more about getting another nose/defensive tackle. I think Keeanu Benton can move to 3-tech permanently after what we've seen for three years and Yahya Black isn't exactly a nose yet either," Carter wrote.

Carter's analysis on the defensive line bolsters the idea that Pittsburgh still doesn't have a nose tackle. The Steelers need a double team eater who will allow some of the more athletic defensive linemen to make their moves and impact the game that way. Black, and especially Benton, are not nose tackles by nature. A need for an addition there was clear and it was right in front of them, especially in the third round. 

Carter addressed this in his chat, too. Pittsburgh has three third-round picks to work with, and he believed the Steelers passed up on one of the draft's best. Instead the Steelers went quarterback, which was a position many expected to be selected later. The front office did take a run-stopping defensive lineman, but not until the sixth round where they picked Notre Dame's Gabriel Rubio. Rubio didn't receive an invite to the combine, and was considered to be an undrafted free agent (UDFA).  Some even think a UDFA will take Rubio's roster spot. 

"I don't see Gabriel Rubio as someone who will make an instant impact. And I really thought Iowa State DT Domonique Orange was the perfect fit for a double-team eating nose tackle. He went seven picks after they selected Drew Allar," Carter added. 

This is just one example of where the Steelers could've added a young nose tackle. The team had three third-round picks and one would have been well-served at adding a player at the position. This may be a huge mistake on the part of General Manager Omar Khan and Team President Art Rooney II in their draft process. 

The Steelers Need Sebastian Joseph-Day To Come Through

The Steelers invested a first-round pick in Harmon and have steadily added defensive linemen through the draft in recent years, like Black and Benton. These young guys will have to pull through, as the team didn't add any more youth in the draft. However, one of the Steelers' free agent additions Sebastian Joseph-Day is known for being great against the run, and for Pittsburgh to get better at that, he'll need to play at his best. 

Pittsburgh seems content with its front seven, and with the addition of Joseph-Day and the continued development of the youth in the room, it will be intriguing to see how the trenches fare on defense in 2026. 

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