Steelers Have Been Missing This Massive Aspect Of Their Defense For The Past Few Seasons

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise known for their dominant defenses that have shut down opponents through an aggressive pass rush and hard hitting. Over the past few seasons, the Black and Gold have had some successes with its groups, but 2025 was definitely underwhelming, considering the level of talent and price of the unit. Though many attribute the defense's shortcomings to poor scheme and coaching, it'll need to prove doubters wrong in 2026, as a new coaching staff and some talented fresh faces have joined the roster. 

As always, one of the most vital parts of any NFL defense to be successful is the defensive line. To defend the run and create interior pressure on the pass rush, a line with a variety of skill sets is huge. The Steelers have a young core of players behind All-Pro defensive lineman Cam Heyward, and while Heyward is still playing at a high level, there have been some concerns that his age will catch up to him. 

His supporting cast in 2026 will be two players playing in their second years, and one in his fourth. Though the young individuals are gradually panning out, there is one aspect that they haven't shown at a high clip quite yet, besides Heyward. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo wrote about a part of the defense's game that needs to make a comeback to get the group to a premier level. 

"Two strong pass-rushing defensive ends would make a big difference for the defense," Fittipaldo wrote. "The Steelers were sixth in the NFL with 48 sacks last season, but defensive linemen contributed only 13 of them. The Steelers have been lacking sack production from their defensive linemen for the past four seasons, with their highest total in that span being 14 in 2022. They’ve been missing a strong pass rush inside since they had Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave teaming with Heyward in their primes."

The Steelers' interior pass rush was not a strong point in 2025, but there are multiple players who are looking to add that to their résumés. Heyward is one of the league's best when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, but second-year defensive lineman Derrick Harmon is adding to his repertoire. He showed flashes of his pass-rush ability, but with a full offseason to hone in on the skill and add some different moves, this could be the year that Pittsburgh can add that level to its game. 

While it's easier said than done, Pittsburgh was at its best when causing the pocket to collapse from the interior and allowing its edge rushers to collapse from the outside. The Steelers have arguably the deepest edge rusher room in the entire league, and the interior defensive linemen can make a huge difference for them, too. 

Harmon and Keeanu Benton have the opportunity to give Heyward some help, and both have the upside to do it. Benton had an impressive 5.5 sacks in 2025, and if you add an improved Harmon to the mix, this area of the game could make a quick turnaround. 

One Steelers Defensive Lineman Have A Lot To Prove

Not only does the group need to create a better pass rush, but there are some players on the line with more to prove. Benton is playing on the last year of his rookie contract and is awaiting a possible extension, or may test free agency in the 2027 offseason. 

No matter what, his sack numbers are promising, but he has been overpowered in the run game. He's been used as a nose tackle, though being slightly undersized, and his inability to handle double teams or create havoc at the point of attack has hurt him. 

Benton will have some value in free agency, but to make things better for the Steelers and himself, he'll have to be better against the run. He'll need to improve there if he wants to create a larger number for himself in contract negotiations. 

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