Rising Concerns For Key Steelers Defender Making Things A Little Uneasy For Pittsburgh

It has long been wondered if the defenses trotting out on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers of late underachieved because of then-head coach Mike Tomlin or the players themselves. After the 19-year veteran stepped down in January, a process started to finally figure out how to get the very best out of the unit. Insert long-time defensive leader Patrick Graham, who has been in the NFL for quite some time. His collectives don't have the best track records historically; however, he was given a very talented group once he arrived in the Steel City. Now, the pressure is on.

Any experienced coach would love to jump into a room with he highest-paid unit in the entire scope of professional football. That means that there is plenty to work with, but it doesn't mean that there won't be a lot of fine-tuning going on. The Steelers have had some serious communication issues for a few seasons now, so it will be up to Graham to figure out how to get back to the basics.

One area where Pittsburgh is stacked on paper is the secondary. There were free-agent acquisitions made such as Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker, and the team is also getting back a healthy DeShon Elliott after he had a relatively serious surgery. The veteran is looking to bounce back and will be a crucial piece to the puzzle, specifically in the backend of the defense.

Elliott was brought up in a recent mailbag that Mark Kaboly posted to his X account. The insider was very clear that the Steelers would love to have the 2024 version of the safety; however, it should be viewed as one step at a time right now because the defender is working his way back to full strength and speed.

"He has all the talent in the world and was a stud two years ago," Kaboly wrote. "But until I see how he moves around on a consistent basis, coming off that leg injury last year, you have to wonder."

Fans won't really get to see how well Elliott is moving until training camp. He severely injured his hamstring while also hyperextending his knee, so there is a lot to come back from. He needs to trust his lower half again and make sure that he can fully accelerate without running into any issues. It will be an underrated situation to watch once the pads come on in late July and into August.

The Steelers' defense once again has the opportunity to be dominant. There is talent all over the place and several moves were made to put the group in the best position possible to be successful. Elliott and Brisker are going to both be very active on defense, but it will be interesting to see who gets the duties of being the true every-down safety with Jalen Ramsey roaming around all over the place.

This decision for the coaching staff could come down to Elliott's health. If he appears to be a full-go once the meaningful football contests begin, then it is likely that he will get the nod because of his familiarity with the majority of his teammates. If not, Brisker could get the first crack at it. Overall, the Steelers have two very talented safeties in the backend and Elliott at 100% would make the defensive unit as a whole even more dangerous.

Steelers Could Boast Top 5 Defense If Key Players Remain Healthy

It can be said for any season in the NFL, but teams keeping their best players on the field and out of the trainers' room is critical. The same thing can be said once again for Pittsburgh in 2026. Graham's unit will be scary if all of the right pieces are able to stay on the active roster week-in and week-out. For now, Elliott's health is a bit of a mystery, so it is something to keep a close eye on in the coming months.

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