Pro Football Focus recently crowned the Pittsburgh Steelers with the best defensive line in the NFL. They ranked them first after an important off-season.
I couldn’t agree more.
The Steelers made the playoffs last year. A 10-7 record sounds respectable, but anyone who watched the games knows it didn’t feel like a success. Pittsburgh’s defense had shining moments, but there were times when it cracked—most notably in the Wild Card round.
Derrick Henry bulldozed his way to 186 rushing yards, turning the Steelers’ playoff dreams into an all-too-familiar nightmare.
That loss served as a wake-up call. Omar Khan and the front office didn’t sit around and lick their wounds. They acted with purpose and grit.
Then came the reinforcements: Darrick Harmon, Yahya Black, and Jack Sawyer. Harmon was a first-round steal and looks like the future of the interior. Black brings raw strength and surprising agility for a man his size.
Sawyer, fresh out of Ohio State, adds pass-rushing upside on the edge. Together, they join a front anchored by legends and rising stars.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a defense that will help win games in 2025
Cameron Heyward remains the heart and soul of this defense. Despite entering the twilight of his career, he’s still one of the league’s most technically sound and physically dominant linemen. His leadership sets the tone for the entire locker room.
Then there’s T.J. Watt—arguably the most feared edge rusher in football. His ability to change a game with a single snap is unmatched. He’s not just an X-factor; he is the factor.
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Let’s not forget Keanu Benton. The second-year lineman is turning heads with his strength at the point of attack and his ability to disrupt the backfield. His development is one of the biggest reasons PFF and other analysts are so high on this group.
In 2024, Pittsburgh ranked sixth in rushing yards allowed (1,678). That’s a solid mark, but this unit is hungry for more. The standard in Pittsburgh is greatness—not just respectability.
So when Pro Football Focus placed the Steelers’ defensive line atop the NFL, it didn’t feel like hype—it felt like prophecy. The Steelers have rebuilt the foundation of the Steel Curtain, and this time, they’re aiming to finish what they started.