The Steelers' defensive line has been a sore spot for quite some time. While there hasn’t been a complete failure of the group, the unit feels patched together and missing elite elements. While Cameron Heyward is defying father time, his time left is short. The team has taken some swings at names to turn into his successor, but they have failed to truly find anyone.
Keeanu Benton has been a fine player, although his second-year leap has been more of a small jostle forward. Larry Ogunjobi, meanwhile, will carry most of the talk in the room this offseason. He hasn’t lived up to expectations, but his salary being relatively low in an inflated defensive line market could force the team to keep him.
No matter what shakes out in the room though, there should be some new faces, and I’m ranking every realistic way this team can address this room.
6. Steelers cut Ogunjobi, sign a free agent starter
Let me start off by saying I don’t think there is a major impact on the team no matter what happens to the likes of Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, and DeMarvin Leal. The top four names on the depth chart are of the most concern, as they will be the starters and/or the potential future starters.
The worst scenario is easily cutting Ogunjobi outright and finding his replacement in free agency. While the upcoming draft class looks deep at defensive line, the free agent class doesn’t. Add in the typical overpays you see for defensive linemen and this route seems unappealing.
I struggle to find anyone who would be a clear upgrade over Ogunjobi. B.J. Hill looks like he has regressed, Charles Omenihu has potential but hasn’t consistently put it all together, and there are a slew of former first-round picks that have failed to live up to their billing. This route is the most costly and has the least upside, so the Steelers need to steer clear.
5. Steelers draft a nose tackle
As stated Benton has been a good player this year even if he hasn’t taken the leap everyone hoped that he would. He has been a disruptive interior presence, has been able to take up space in the run game, and has gotten pressure on the quarterback despite the sacks not being there. That said, his body type has always looked more like an end, and I think his best fit long-term is there.
This would require the team to bring in a more traditional nose tackle to replace him, and this draft class isn’t full of great options. If you wanted an impact player, you would likely need to draft someone who isn’t a perfect fit and hope that they can adjust, similar to what you did with Benton. I love the idea of moving him to more of an end role, but drafting a capable nose tackle out of the gate may be easier said than done.
4. Steelers cut Ogunjobi, use a first-round pick to replace him
If the team is adamant about keeping Benton as a nose tackle primarily, the focus shifts back to what to do with Ogunjobi. If the team decides to cut him and doesn’t want to overspend in free agency, drafting someone in the first round of a deep defensive line draft class would make a lot of sense on paper.
The issue is that while there are some good names available, and options that should make it into the later portion of day one, banking on a rookie starting and playing effectively along the defensive line is a risk. Typically, there is a learning curve with the position, and the team asks a lot of their ends. I also don’t love the options late as positional fits for the team, as they lack the size the team typically covets. I am not against taking a first-round lineman, but expecting them to be an instant starter would be a risk.
3. Keep everyone, add some developmental pieces
While I personally hope for more investment in this group than this, I don’t think it is impossible that the team opts to address other needs as they have in years past. Ogunjobi can hold the fort down for another season, and you can add some intriguing fits in both free agency and the draft to help out and potentially develop into something more.
In free agency, Javon Kinlaw sticks out as a name that you could try and revitalize given his decent season and pedigree. To a lesser extent, Jerry Tillery and Taven Bryan would also fit in that role, although their upside is capped. As for the draft, you would look for that typical size fit somewhere on day three to work with. This is a lackluster option, but a realistic one if the team deems bigger needs elsewhere.
2. Steelers sign a true nose tackle
This seems like a minuscule move on paper, but it would give this defensive line so much room to grow. While Benton has been a good nose tackle, he seems like a good fit to move down to end and could thrive there. Signing an established nose tackle would give the team the ability to do that, and for a cheap cost overall.
There are some older veterans who thrive on taking up space. Jonathan Hankins and John Jenkins have both been vested veterans who would cost less than 3 million dollars. You could go with an unconventional body type in Poona Ford who has excelled at run defense this year. No matter who, the goal here is to get a capable base nose tackle that frees up Benton to shift to an end role. As for Ogunjobi, you can keep him as pricy depth or add some developmental names to fill out the depth chart.
1. Keep everyone, draft an early defensive lineman
This seems like the most likely option. With Ogunjobi cheap relative to the market, the Steelers can afford to hold on to him for another season. The goal can and should be to phase him out though, as he shouldn’t be in the long-term plans of this defense. That means you need a significant investment is needed, either a day one or two pick.
Luckily for the team, there are a slew of good options that fit the body type of what the Steelers like who should be available in this range. On paper, there are about half a dozen names that make sense, but I’ll highlight Derrick Harmon, Deone Walker, and Alfred Collins as great fits who could be second-round targets. Each needs to develop in some ways, but serving as that fourth lineman could jumpstart their career and earn them a starting gig sooner rather than later.