The Pittsburgh Steelers had some obvious areas on the roster that needed to be cleaned up going into the 2026 NFL Draft. It was hard to guess whether or not certain problems would be addressed through free agency or through the Draft, but fans have started to gain some clarity after some of Pittsburgh's recent signings have been made official. One of the best signings that the Steelers were able to make was bringing in veteran cornerback Jamel Dean, who has spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had a great year in 2025, and he has shown no signs of slowing down.
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Steelers' Jamel Dean returns an interception for a touchdown during his time with the Buccaneers.
The Steelers signed Dean to a three-year deal worth just under $37 million. The veteran cornerback is 29 years old, but he is still playing at a high level. A lot of fans were concerned about age after the Darius Slay acquisition in 2025, but that should not be the case with Dean. Even if it is, his contract is set up in a way that would allow Pittsburgh to get out of it while avoiding a harsh financial penalty.
Dean's deal was made official on Friday, and he spoke to the media for the first time after putting pen to paper. He spoke about his defensive mentality, and his answer oozed Black and Gold.
"I mean for the most part, we play defense, so you got to be able to cover and tackle at the same time," Dean said. "Nowadays, the offense is going to design, have plays designed for you to tackle, so if you don't want to tackle, you are going to have a long game. Our guys like to set the tone early, like I'm willing to tackle."
The Steelers have had some issues against the run in recent years, and having players in the secondary that can help in that area is a big deal. He made a note that offenses are now scheming up plays that are deigned to force a cornerback to have to make a tackle. It is important the cornerback is able to do that, or else they will just get picked on all game long.
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Steelers' Jamel Dean during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A great example of what Dean was talking about was when the Steelers played the Buffalo Bills during the 2025 season. Pittsburgh wound up getting destroyed, but one bright spot was Joey Porter Jr.'s tackling in the contest. Buffalo kept scheming up one-on-one matchups between Porter and a running back, and he performed well in those situations. He had eight combined tackles in the game, six of which were solo tackles.
Dean has the right mindset when it comes to playing the cornerback position. He understands his responsibilities, and he also comes from a winning culture. He was a starter for Tampa Bay when they won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2020 season, and now he will be looking to add to his ring collection in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Boast One Of The Best Tackling Secondaries In The League
Some used to be worried about Porter's ability to tackle, but he has put all of that worry to bed. He is a good tackler and he has proven that over the last couple of seasons. Jalen Ramsey and DeShon Elliott are two hard-hitters and reliable tacklers, and the same can be said about newly-acquired safety Jaquan Brisker. All three of them are also versatile, and any of those players could play up in the box and defend the run.
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Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey lines up against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season.
Dean is joining that group, and he brings good tackling skills with him. There is no reason that the defense should not be significantly better in 2026 than it was in 2025.
What do you think about Dean's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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