The Pittsburgh Steelers did well to sign veteran DL Sebastian Joseph-Day, a steady, proven, and versatile run stuffer. I have no issues with the signing whatsoever. Adding Joseph-Day makes Pittsburgh five-deep along the defensive line. But the team will likely carry seven on the 53-man roster, and the unit needs one more type of player: a pass rusher.
No question, run defense comes first. That’s central to how the Steelers win. Can’t stop the run, never get the chance to rush the passer. Pittsburgh has fortified that group. There are four defensive linemen whose run defense is stronger than their pass rush: Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, and Joseph-Day.
Heyward’s bull remains effective, but his sack production fell off in ’25 and seems unlikely to return. Harmon has the chance to become a good rusher, but his calling card is run defense. Black might grow, too, but his pass-rush ceiling is capped, and Joseph-Day is a run stuffer through and through. Soon to be 31, his game isn’t changing.
Another pass rusher is in order. Keeanu Benton broke out in 2025 with 5.5 sacks and high-level reps. His club/over is a potent move, and his loose hips squeeze through gaps. Pittsburgh still needs more.
Last year, the Steelers’ defensive line combined for just 13 sacks from only four people: Benton with 5.5, Heyward 3.5, Harmon 3, and Esezi Otomewo 1. Only one, Benton, reached double-digit quarterback hits. That’s not enough. In 2024, the group produced just 12.5 sacks. Even though Pittsburgh’s main source of pass rush comes from its EDGE rushers, its defensive line must step up.
Signed back to the team, maybe Otomewo could be that guy. He’s an above-average athlete who rotated into Pittsburgh’s one-down linemen looks last season when the defense put three outside linebackers on the field. Still, Otomewo isn’t a lock to make the roster, and the Steelers should keep searching.
Paying for pass rush in free agency is expensive. Most viable options are gone. The draft is a smarter place to search. Unfortunately, the ’26 draft class isn’t billowing with great interior defensive linemen. There are a handful of run-stuffing options. Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald is the cream of the crop. Cincinnati’s Dontay Corleone is a Day Two candidate, while Iowa State’s Domonique Orange, “The Big Citrus” as they call him, is a later-round option.
Who are the pass rushers? Florida’s Caleb Banks, Clemson’s Peter Woods, Texas AM’s Albert Regis, and Oklahoma’s Gracen Halton are names to know. But all come with drawbacks. Banks played in just three games this season and broke his foot before the Combine. He’s a projection. With sub-32-inch arms, Woods, Regis, and Halton all severely lack the length Pittsburgh usually needs from the position.
Perhaps the best target is Georgia’s Christen Miller. Well-built at 6036, 321 pounds with 33-inch arms, there’s serious potential. Although our scouting report compared him to Joseph-Day, it also noted Miller’s raw athletic traits and talent worth developing. Miller’s an unrefined pass rusher, but he has the juice to be molded. He notched just 1.5 sacks last year but registered 16 pressures to give him 41 for his career. His biggest issue is availability. Taking him at No. 21 might be too early, but the odds of him falling to No. 53 seem slim.
Someone like Miller won’t be counted on for heavy snaps out of the gate. But they’ll serve as important rotational depth when starters need breathers. Heyward can’t play 80 percent of the snaps forever, and he needs injury insurance. If Heyward retires after the season, having an in-house replacement will become incredibly valuable.
Whoever it is and whichever way they make the roster, that’s Pittsburgh’s goal. The run stuffers are in place. Find the pass rusher, in addition to, of course, developing Harmon and Black. If the Steelers can have Heyward, Benton, Harmon, and someone new provide the pass rush with Heyward, Harmon, Black, and Joseph-Day stopping the run (Heyward and Harmon overlap, as they should given their expectations), then Pittsburgh will be in a great place.