Grading the Steelers rollercoaster defense for the 2022 season

Steelers safety grade: A

The brightest spot on the roster for the Steelers this season was the tandem of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. Fitzpatrick had another All-pro year and Edmunds had another solid season that will give him the payday that he deserves. Bringing back Edmunds this offseason needs to be another priority signing for the black and gold.

Not much else needs to be said about how great Fitzpatrick played this year after his contract extension this past offseason. He tied for the league lead in interceptions and has become one of the most consistent tacklers in the NFL. This duo is something special and hopefully, there is a future where they stick around for a while longer.

Steelers overall defense grade for the 2022 season: B-

A tale of two halves for this group as they struggled mightily without Watt in the lineup for the first half of the schedule. His return gave this group a breath of fresh air that triggered a chance for the playoffs. The Steelers defense was tough to watch at different points in the early goings of the year, but that changed, and they reverted to what people expected.

Tomlin applied high expectations for this group, but they are almost unplayable without their star edge rusher in the lineup. If anyone has questioned signing Watt to a contract extension, the defensive performance without him in the lineup is why you pay him. He is a game-altering talent that helps this defensive unit become a highly competitive team.

The Steelers defense was able to come together and carry this offense into a winning record when it mattered most. There were a lot of hiccups along the way, but this group was good when they got healthy again.