The Steelers are bringing Markus Golden in for a visit on Wednesday after it was reported that he would be coming to Pittsburgh. With Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt comfortably entrenched as guys that will be the starters, Golden could be coming in for a valuable rotational role. But what does his skillset entail and just what could he bring to the Steelers?
Golden is a solid pass rusher and his pass rush numbers really do tell that story. The sack production is up and down, but the pressures, pressure rate, and QB Hits are stable. In 2021 he had 11 sacks compared to only 2.5 sacks in 2022, but the pressure rate actually went up and he registered more QB Hits than he did in 2021.
Markus Golden has all the pass rush plan tools you could want. He has counters, multiple moves, and decent enough bend, even at 32 years old. The one thing Golden will not have that Highsmith and Watt do have is explosiveness and innate athleticism. To be honest, I’m not sure Golden was ever an elite athlete compared to his peers, but that is not how he wins, anyways. Golden wins through his craftiness, savviness, and hand usage.
In the run game, Golden plays with a strong edge. His motor runs hot, and that is part of his game that is commendable. There are some reps where Golden gets a little too aggressive up the ride on backside tackles and can get taken out of the play. However, that is something you run into with these high-motor guys, and Watt has the same thing happen to him at times. I’d rather have a guy that plays with their hair on fire than one that plays too timid.
Golden brings all of those polished tools to the table and you know what you are getting. He is a guy who has been around the league and knows what this looks like. In addition, I just think his background would really help someone with athleticism like DeMarvin Leal, for example. Everyone can learn from the way Golden uses low hands and low pad level as a pass rusher. He has that innate teach tape that coaches will love.
If the Steelers are looking for secure depth, Golden makes a lot of sense to me. Sure, he’s not a great athlete anymore, but that’s why he is a rotational player. He has too much polish on his pass-rush plan to not be a useful player at this point in his career. He could be excellent injury insurance for the Steelers.