The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is going to look quite a bit different in 2025. A familiar, reliable player in Minkah Fitzpatrick is now gone, but Pittsburgh did acquire both Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in the process. The Steelers also sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Dolphins and got a 2027 seventh-round pick in return. With the trade now official, they earned a solid A- grade from CBS Sports’ John Breech on Monday.
“With Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay already on the roster, the Steelers didn’t necessarily need to add a corner, but when a three-time All-Pro like Ramsey becomes available, it’s hard to say no… Slay, Porter and Ramsey can all play the outside, but the Steelers will only need two of them on the job. That could put Mike Tomlin in a position where he’s able to use Ramsey any way that he sees fit… Offensively, the addition of Smith makes a lot of sense,” Breech wrote.
Coming into the offseason, the cornerback position was a big need for Pittsburgh. Joey Porter Jr. has been encouraging, but not as consistent as the Steelers would like. They went out and got him a veteran to learn from in Darius Slay, which at the time felt like their last big addition at the position.
However, Ramsey does bring another level of talent to this defense. His impressive resume is hard to ignore, and he now helps form what might be the best cornerback group in the entire NFL. Losing Fitzpatrick does hurt, but Ramsey has the versatility to make that hurt a little bit less. He can play on the outside, and in the slot. His skill set feels like a natural fit at safety as well, although the Steelers have a decent duo still with DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill.
However, not everyone is as high on the trade as Breech is. On Monday, ESPN’s Seth Walder gave the Steelers a C.
“Ramsey, 30, is generally considered to be on the decline… But I can’t help but think the Steelers are dealing for Smith at his absolute peak. Smith is coming off a career year in which he recorded 88 receptions for 884 yards with the Dolphins, but that doesn’t mean we ought to forget about the seven years of relative mediocrity that came before it… Altogether, I have a hard time getting on board with this move for the Steelers,” Walder wrote
Jalen Ramsey certainly isn’t the spring chicken he used to be. But against the pass, it doesn’t feel like he’s on as much of a decline as Fitzpatrick might be. In 2024, Ramsey had two interceptions, 11 passes defended and allowed an 83.2 passer rating when targeted. Compare that to Fitzpatrick, who had one interception, four passes defended and allowed a 127.6 passer rating when targeted.
Against the run, Fitzpatrick does have the advantage. He recorded 96 tackles and just a 4-percent missed tackle rate last year. Ramsey had just 60 tackles, and a career-high 14.3-percent missed tackle rate.
Of course, football is more than just statistics. Ramsey has to fit into this defense, and while there are many ways the Steelers can make that work, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. That said, the two are relatively similar in age, and Jalen Ramsey showed fewer signs of slowing down last year.
Jonnu Smith ends up being the icing on the cake here. He’s a player Arthur Smith is fond of, who he spent time with in both Tennessee and Atlanta. He’s now another weapon on the offense, one who the Steelers could use in many different ways.
Ultimately, we’ll have to see how everything works on the field, for both teams, to truly evaluate this trade. For now, there are plenty of reasons for Steelers’ fans to be excited.
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