Steelers' Defense Gets Bold 2026 Prediction Under Patrick Graham

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 season has many questions that will be answered as it unfolds under the direction of new head coach Mike McCarthy in his first year with the organization. To put it bluntly, the team had its struggles on both offense and defense in 2025 despite winning the AFC North. It was their fifth playoff appearance in six seasons, but the same result occurred as they did not get past the first round. Joining the new staff is Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham, who comes over after spending time with the Las Vegas Raiders where in 2023, he orchestrated a tremendous turnaround for their defense.

He comes over from Las Vegas after demonstrating strong leadership and now will have more resources for one of the NFL's most storied franchises. In that 2023 season, he turned their defense into a top-10 scoring unit in the NFL. Now, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report has outlined the best- and worst-case scenarios for the defense in the Steel City in the 2026 season.

“T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig are a formidable trio on the edge,” Davenport wrote. “Cam Heyward is an ageless wonder at defensive tackle. A secondary that already featured cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. and safety DeShon Elliott added another proven veteran in Jamel Dean. It's just a matter of staying healthy and those veterans playing to their potential. The pass defense in the Steel City may not be short on name value, but it struggled in a big way last year—only three teams allowed more yards per game through the air last year than the 243.9 yards the Steelers surrendered. In a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, the Steelers have to get better against the pass while maintaining their impact play production to stay in the race in the division.” 

While it will help that the secondary adds a young Jaquan Brisker at safety and will see DeShon Elliott return to the field in 2026, health will be a huge factor. Injuries are a common part of the game though, especially given the physical nature of play. That is where the organization hopes to see depth pay off.

Steelers' Offense Needs To Sustain Drives In 2026 To Help Defense

While the defense did struggle mightily in the passing game in 2025, their offense as a whole struggled during last season. One thing that often gets overlooked is that, even with a very talented defense, if they are on the field a lot with not much time for a breather, it will take its toll on them. That can be true for the Black and Gold, as their offense was just 25th in the league in total offense last year, while also seeing many short drives.

The front office did a great job of going to get help on offense to surround DK Metcalf with some wide receivers that can lighten the attention on him in the upcoming season. This was especially seen when they traded for Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts, in a move that has been met with lots of praise for the Pittsburgh front office. They definitely have a strong edge rushing trio in TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig as Davenport mentioned. When searching for answers as to why a unit that is headlined by those three up front, one has to wonder if the offense is on the field long enough for them to remain fresh throughout games.

If the Pittsburgh offense can improve from their brutal 2025 output, it may directly contribute to a turnaround on defense as well. The skill is there and they will need to stay relatively healthy. However, under Graham's leadership on the new staff, an offense that can sustain drives and allow them to stay somewhat fresh throughout games should provide a big boost for a defense looking to improve overall.

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