The Steelers Must Get The Best Out Of These 2 Players To Be Successful

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises for their dominant defenses; however, the team fell short of that in 2025. The Black and Gold's defense ranked among the worst in many major categories, and with a new coaching staff, they'll look to make a quick turnaround in 2026. This will be a clean slate for many vets and young players alike. A new scheme could be all this group needs to be fully unlocked. 

One of the key areas that could be improved is in the secondary. The Steelers' safety room suffered greatly when their starter, DeShon Elliott, had a season-ending injury early in the season. Elliott has flashed some big-play moments for the Steelers, and that left the room devastated. Jalen Ramsey had to take on the role of being a safety, which is something he hadn't done a ton of in his career, and the team relied on Band-Aid solutions throughout the season. With Elliott set to come back, the room looks a little better.

Pittsburgh's defense could be make-or-break based on this position group, and with Elliott coming back from a pretty significant injury and a new addition to the room, this is one of the biggest question marks. CBS Sports' Josh Edwards believes that two players could be the key to the defense becoming an elite unit or an average one. 

"DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker have found success at points in their respective careers, but there have also been some lean times. Which version will the Steelers see this season?" Edwards wrote.

The Black and Gold added Brisker on a relatively cheap one-year, $5.5 million deal this spring after a solid season in Chicago. Brisker has had multiple 100+ tackle seasons and was a key piece to a stout Bears defense. The hometown kid will have to play a huge part on the defense. He started all 17 games in 2025 with some respectable stats, including 93 total tackles and an interception. 

Brisker is most effective at the line of scrimmage, as he's a tremendous run-stopper. Elliott has a similar play style, which has some people concerned that they're too similar. Neither necessarily excels in coverage, but they are capable when needed. However, with the way the modern NFL has used safeties in disguised coverages and has moved away from single-high looks, this could benefit them. The group now has a defensive coordinator who will look to keep the same Steelers patented 3-4 look, but switch some things up when it comes to pre-snap movements. With Ramsey's versatility and now some experience playing single-high safety, this could set Brisker and Elliott up to play to their strengths. 

Now this is a big ask with all of the moving parts, but the whole team is adjusting to the new language and schemes of the defense. The whole unit will be used in many ways, some that players weren't accustomed to in the previous staff, but this could unlock what the team is looking for. As for the safeties, this is a group that is looking to put it all together, and Brisker and Elliott have shown some big flashes.

2026 Will Be A Total Transformation For The Defense

Under the new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, the defense will go through an adjustment period. After all the offseason work on installation and getting on the same page, players are confident in the new system. Graham will finally have an established roster to coach, and his job now is to set his stars up to play to their potential. 

This will be a huge year of change for the entire team, but the defense will have to remember their roots but not resist this change. The dominant defense the Black and Gold have long been known for could soon return.

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