"Getting Beat": Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Gets Honest About Rookie Daylen Everette

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't exactly make fans happy when they made the decision to not give Joey Porter Jr. a new contract. Making the decision to trade the disgruntled cornerback has led to some depth issues in the backend of the defense. Luckily, Daylen Everette was taken in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He has been thrown into a role that he may not have expected to have this early in his career. So far, he is holding his own. General Manager Omar Khan may have found someone who can stay around for a long time.

It's good for Everette that he has a guy like Jalen Ramsey around him to look up to. Veteran presences are crucial for first-year players. The front office is certainly hoping that the University of Georgia product will pan out. If he doesn't, losing Porter will look like organizational malpractice. All in all, the next few months will determine what kind of future Everette may have at the professional level.

There will be plenty of learning moments for the defender as the season progresses. He isn't going to be perfect, so getting beat from time to time is likely going to happen. The key will be learning from the tape and continuing to get better week-in and week-out. The Steelers would be wise to really hone in on his development with the positional room being a bit light.

Ben Roethlisberger knows a thing or two about how important it is to have a strong defense that can back up an offense. On the most recent episode of his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, he went into detail about the Steelers' Week 5 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The rookie cornerback in Everette still has a lot of work to do according to the 18-year NFL veteran.

"I think the rookie over there on the right side, I can't remember his name off the top of my head, but he's getting beat a little bit on some double moves and whatever, but it didn't burn us. It didn't hurt us this week," Roethlisberger stated. "He got beat in Cleveland, not for a touchdown because Watson under-threw it, but, you know, he's learning and he's growing."

Roethlisberger wasn't too harsh on Everette, but he made it clear that the rookie has gotten beat more than once. These double moves for wide receivers can be extremely tough to defend. The biggest piece to the puzzle will be what the future Hall of Famer said to wrap up his quote. Learning and growing has to continue to happen if Pittsburgh is going to be confident that the future of the secondary is on the roster.

There are going to continue to be plenty of eyes on Everette as there are on all early-round picks. Teams do not take these selections lightly. While he was supposed to have some time to adjust with Porter around, that is very much in the past. The Steelers could have a star-in-the-making with the cornerback; however, there still needs to be more work done on a weekly basis.

The Steelers needed help at cornerback even before the Porter drama. This is one of the main reasons why Everette was drafted in the first place. Now, he is being relied on in a very significant way. Roethlisberger made a career out of fooling cornerbacks, so he knows exactly what to look for when watching tape. Everette has plenty of potential, but has to make sure he isn't getting burned too often.

Steelers Need Everette To Get Ready For 2026 Schedule's Tough Stretch

Pittsburgh does not have an easy schedule toward the end of the year. There are several offensive playmakers on the docket. This is why Everette is going to need to step up in a big way more than once. The secondary getting healthy has to be of the utmost importance, but with Porter gone, Everette is set to have a much more expanded role. He needs to avoid getting beat consistently, or big plays down the stretch could really hurt the Steelers.

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