5 free agents Steelers must sign to fix pathetic run defense

The Steelers run defense was at its worst last week against the Lions, so here are five free agents that could boost that unit going forward.

The Steelers had one of the NFL’s best run defenses for the past two seasons, but 2021 has not been kind to the team. Names like Vince Williams, Tyson Alualu and Stephon Tuitt are all not playing for various reasons, and they were the heart and soul of this fierce front.

The struggles were on display as the Lions routinely destroyed the Steelers on the ground this past week. The team needs to make some adjustments, to say the least. Here are five free agents the Steelers could sign to improve the run defense.

Steelers could sign Dunn

Considering run defense mostly depends on the front seven, the focus area for a free agent is a quality run defending lineman or linebacker. Starting the list off is Brandon Dunn. I’ve written about Dunn on numerous occasions, as the former Texan is a perfect fit as a prototypical nose tackle. He offers next to nothing as a pass rusher, but he can take on double teams to open up gaps for other players to exploit.

Dunn was in the middle of a three-year extension that paid him four million dollars a year when he was shockingly released. It was a hard offseason for the league as a whole though, and Dunn was likely a cap cut more so than a talent cut. All that said, he has remained a free agent since, and with the Steelers run defense in dire need of some help, he would be well worth a call this week.