The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the offseason coming off a disastrous end to their 2024 season, which included five straight losses following a 10-3 start. The team’s struggles down the stretch exposed a lot of holes and needs that the Steelers want to fill this offseason, and NFL.com’s Kevin Patra thinks the biggest need for the Steelers is to find players who can stop the run. Patra had “find some run stoppers” as Pittsburgh’s offseason move.
“For a perennial winner, the Steelers sure have some holes — which is either a testament or a detriment to Mike Tomlin. From QB to WR to CB2 to DL to RB, Pittsburgh has needs on both sides of the ball. Since we can’t solve them all here, let’s highlight a run defense that got mashed down the stretch. In their final nine games, including playoffs, the Steelers allowed 1,193 rushing yards — 132.5 per contest — including 299 against Baltimore in the Wild Card Round,” Patra writes.
Patra added that the Steelers allowed 5.1 yards per carry with DL Cameron Heyward off the field, and the team needs to add help for Heyward, who will turn 36 in 2025.
The good news for the Steelers is that this is a deep defensive line class. There’s a lot of top-end talent that the Steelers could target early, including Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, but there’s also depth in the later rounds. That could allow the Steelers to double up at the position, if need be, and we know the team is targeting young defensive linemen. Owner Art Rooney II said the Steelers need more young blood along their defensive line, and drafting interior defensive linemen could be a sound strategy in such a talented class.
The Steelers could also look to free agency, with former Steelers DL Javon Hargrave and emerging Philadelphia Eagles DL Milton Williams both set to be available in March. There are a number of ways the Steelers can attack their needs on the defensive line, but it seems like a safe bet that a defensive lineman will be one of their top two selections in the NFL Draft. The team not only needs to find help for Heyward, who was a first-team All-Pro in 2024, but also think about life after Heyward. He’s not getting any younger, even though he played some of the best football of his career last season.
Finding young talent through the draft is the best way to do that, while the Steelers can focus on free agency for some of their other needs, like cornerback and wide receiver. This is a team that has a lot of work to do this offseason to get back to being a legitimate contender. Stopping the run is paramount, especially in the AFC North, and Patra is right that it should be a big priority for the Steelers this offseason.
