Steelers Front Seven Ranked as One of the Best in NFL
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football ranked the Pittsburgh Steelers’ front seven as the third-best unit in the NFL. Only the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns’ front sevens were deemed better.
“The strength of Pittsburgh’s defense is its pass rush, which generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 28.1% of dropbacks, the league’s third-best rate,” Sharp wrote.
Over the last five seasons, no team has recorded more sacks than the Steelers’ 252. Getting pressure on quarterbacks has been a stable in Mike Tomlin’s defenses. Having All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward certainly helps.
Watt has led the league in sacks in three of the last four seasons (2020, 2021 and 2023). He is the first player to win the NFL sack title three times since it became an official stat. Deacon Jones of the Los Angeles Rams unofficially led the league in sacks five times in the 1960s.
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith has also emerged as force on the Steelers’ defense. In the last two years, he’s recorded 21.5 sacks. Highsmith won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his performance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 last season.
Highsmith helped the Steelers win the game, notching a pick-six to open the game against Deshuan Watson and orchestrating the game-winning strip-sack to put the team ahead. Overall, he racked up five pressures and the sack on the day.
Watt and Highsmith are certainly an elite duo on the outside, arguably the best in the league.
Nose tackle Keeanu Benton is also a player to watch for this season. He could be on the brink of stardom. Pro Football Focus sees him as the breakout candidate for Pittsburgh.
“The former Badger ranked fourth on the Steelers with 24 pressures despite playing only 516 snaps. There were several moments when Benton looked flat-out unblockable, but the Steelers didn’t use him as much as anticipated as a rookie,” PFF wrote. “With Cameron Heyward experiencing a down 2023 and uncertainty with Larry Ogunjobi’s production, it feels as though Benton should easily exceed his previous snap count and be disruptive on the interior.”
Heyward dealt with a slew of injuries last season, but if he can stay healthy, the 35-year-old veteran should still be dominat in 2024. He believes he brings a style of play that no one else can replicate.
“My game is different from everybody else in this league,” Heyward said. “I like to think I can play the run and the pass. And that’s why I’m different.”
Heyward has been studying powerlifters as they are all about power, which is Heyward’s specialty.
“Last year Mike (Tomlin) brought to my attention, the thing that’s really cool is you watch powerlifters, and my game is built on power and technique and (powerlifters) go into their 40s,” Heyward said. “And so, you know, that’s what kind of research I’m doing behind the scenes.”
Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi’s production was not where he needed to be last season, especially given his salary. The Steelers will need a bounce-back year from him in 2024. Ogunjobi started all 17 regular season games for the Steelers in his second year on the team. In his 17 appearances, Ogunjobi totaled 43 tackles, two tackles for a loss, three sacks and one forced fumble.
At inside linebacker, the Steelers are absolutely loaded with Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, Payton Wilson, Tyler Matakevich and Mark Robinson. Robinson might not make the 53-man roster because of how crowded the inside linebackers room is. It’s the best depth the Steelers have had at ILB in years.
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