3 interesting things Steelers fans must know about new DT Larry Ogunjobi

Ogunjobi is an interior pass rusher, not a run defender

One of the first things that fans typically think about when a player is signed is what type of role he will have on the team. This takes more than simply looking at the depth chart archives for the Bengals last season or using raw statistical production from 2021 to predict Ogunjobi’s role with the Steelers.

As much as we would love for Larry Ogunjobi to be the next Stephon Tuitt, that’s just not his game at all. Tuitt was tall, long, and powerful. He could two-gap and shut down the run as well as anyone on the defensive line (which is probably why Pittsburgh’s run defense was hurting so bad without him last year).

Unfortunately, Ogunjobi isn’t much of a run defender. At just 6’2 1/2” and 305 pounds with 32 5/8” arms, Ogunjobi has a body type that is much more similar to that of former Steelers DT Javon Hargrave than to their usual 5-techniques like Tuitt, Cameron Heyward, or Chris Wormley.

While I would still expect a very big role from Ogunjobi this year for the Steelers, I expect him to be used primarily on passing downs where he can get after the quarterback with his speed and quickness from the interior.