Steelers Saw Enough Value in Jonathan Marshall to Keep Him Around Despite Being Set at DT
The Pittsburgh Steelers brought Jonathan Marshall in midseason during the 2022 season to be a depth piece for a group that was ravaged by injuries. Marshall is a true nose tackle that has the explosiveness and strength to be an effective run-stopper but has yet to bring it all together.
Even while in college at the University of Arkansas, Marshall would flash elite upside at times but struggle at other times. Coming out of college, Marshall’s 36 reps on the bench were considered elite and he tested above average in regard to his speed tests. His Relative Athletic Score was a 9.99 out of 10.
He spent most of his time playing in a true zero-technique and was used sparingly as a 4i in his time as a Razorback. In his 76 defensive snaps on the Jets in 2021, Marshall lined up out of position for a nose tackle as he played 64 of those snaps lined up over the B-gap.
The thing that kept Marshall in Pittsburgh after his initial signing was that he was solid depth, of course, but he also picked up on the defensive playbook quickly due to it’s similarities with the Jets defense at the time.
“To be honest, they’re all kind of similar,” Marshall said after joining the team in 2022. “It was all about the get off with the Jets and attack there. But here it’s the same thing. It’s taking the man instead of the area.”
Marshall is once again pitted behind some very good talent along the Steelers defensive line and the numbers game does not favor Marshall’s chance to make the 53-man out of training camp. With the emergence of Keeanu Benton and the re-signing of Montravius Adams, it looks like the Steelers will roll with the same two nose tackles in 2024.
Even with his athleticism, his only real chance to play for the Steelers would be at nose tackle and for at least the next two seasons, the team has their guys for that role. Yet, the team still values Marshall’s upside and experience as he survived all season on the practice squad in 2023, which is a rarity.
If all else fails, Marshall is likely to end up on the Steelers’ practice squad again for the 2024 season and would be one of the top options to be elevated if injuries occur, which they likely will with the group of veterans that are ahead of him.
91 • Jonathan Marshall, Defensive Tackle, Arkansas
6-foot-3, 310 pounds, 26 years old, 4th Season
Acquired: The Steelers signed Marshall from the New York Jets practice squad on Dec. 14, 2022, after injuries decimated the Steelers’ defensive line last season.
Last season: Jonathan Marshall spent the entire 2023 season on the Steelers practice squad and was not elevated once during the season.
Career: The New York Jets drafted Marshall with the 207th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Marshall was waived by the Jets prior to his rookie season but re-signed to the team’s practice squad the next day.
Marshall was elevated to the Jets’ active roster before the team’s Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans. He recorded nine defensive snaps in that game but failed to tally a tackle. Marshall’s next appearance came in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles when he played 19 defensive snaps. Marshall recorded his first NFL tackle and quarterback pressure in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins. He made one more appearance in Week 17 as he recorded his second tackle of the season.
Marshall started the season on the Jets practice squad and was not elevated for any of their games.
The Steelers decided to sign Marshall to their active roster after the defensive line suffered multiple injuries that resulted in Cam Heyward having to play nose tackle.
The Steelers listed Marshall as inactive for his first week on the team. He did not log any snaps for the rest of the season.
In his career, Marshall has played in four games and recorded two combined tackles and one quarterback pressure.
| Year | GP | Def. Snaps | Tackles | Sacks | Pressures | FFs | PFF Rating |
| 2021 | 4 | 76 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37.7 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
College: Marshall was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of high school and decided to commit to the University of Arkansas. He redshirted during his first season as a Razorback and sat out the entire 2016 season.
In 2017, Marshall played in a rotational role but did appear in 12 games as he played 160 defensive snaps. He finished his redshirt freshman year with six combined tackles and half of a tackle for loss.
Marshall stayed in a rotational role in 2018 as he appeared in 11 games and made 13 combined tackles. He played a total of 286 defensive snaps and 77 special teams snaps.
As a redshirt junior in 2019, Marshall played 311 snaps on the defensive line as he finished with 17 combined tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, half of a sack, and three pass breakups.
In his final year at Arkansas, Marshall started all 10 games on the defensive line and racked up career-highs in a couple of different categories. He finished the year with 35 combined tackles, one sack, and 6.5 tackles for loss. He also added one pass defended and one forced fumble.
In his collegiate career, Marshall appeared in 45 games and racked up 71 combined tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. The reason for his low sack numbers is that he played a ton in the nose tackle position and was mainly a run stuffer.
| Year | GP | Tackles | TFLs | Sacks | PDs/PBUs | FFs |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 12 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 11 | 13 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12 | 17 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2020 | 10 | 35 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 |
Salary cap and future: Marshall signed with the Steelers midway through the 2022 season and is locked in with the team until the end of the 2023 season. He will cost $940,000 against the Steelers’ 2023 cap space which is his base salary as he has no extra bonuses attached to his contract. Marshall will become an exclusive rights-free agent following this season.
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