After examining my wish list of offensive free agents the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider during next week’s free agency, we’re flipping over to the defense. A collection of pending free agents the Steelers should take a long look at to bolster a defense in need of plenty of help.
Defense
DJ Reader/NT Detroit Lions
Turning 32 this summer, Reader is on the older end of things and the Steelers’ mission should be to get younger, especially on defense. But age for a nose tackle means less and Reader would be added to stop the run, not rush the passer.
Reader was a solid player for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020-2023. In 2025, he failed to record a sack but started all 17 games for the Lions. Per Pro Football Focus, his 240 A-gap snaps were fourth-most of any NFL defensive lineman for 2025 and the most of any pending free agent. For reference, Keeanu Benton was fifth with 234.
He would come in to back up Benton and rotate in on the team’s base 3-4 defense. The Steelers don’t have a plugging backup nose tackle they went searching for after losing Daniel Ekuale to a torn ACL midway through last season.
Given his age and run defense always being cheaper than pass rush, Reader will be a cost-conscious addition.
Tim Settle/NT-DE Houston Texans
A little bigger swing with Settle. He’ll be 29 when the season begins and has spent most of his career as a backup. But he found the starting lineup the last two years and had five sacks two years ago with Houston. In 2025, he finished with one before a foot injury ended his season in December.
He’d primarily play nose tackle behind Benton but could really push him if Benton struggles – or if the Steelers elect to play Benton at defensive end/three-tech. Settle also has flexibility to play up and down the line and spent most of last year in the B-gap.
Settle will cost a little more than Reader but not significantly so.
K.J. Britt/ILB Miami Dolphins
It’s a challenge threading the needle of an inside linebacker who isn’t an obvious starter but also isn’t just a backup. Britt started just one game in 2025 but played over 600 defensive snaps with Tampa Bay in 2024 and still logged nearly 150 snaps this season.
If Malik Harrison is released, Britt could become the team’s No. 3 inside linebacker while still pushing Payton Wilson for snaps. Britt is regarded as a capable run defender and has nearly 1,300 career special teams snaps. Britt is similar to Harrison, a downhill run stopper but a touch more athletic and could be had for a cheaper price. He played for the minimum in 2025 and his value didn’t markedly increase over the past year.
Britt turns 27 this June so Pittsburgh isn’t adding age by inking him to a deal.
Amik Robertson/CB Detroit Lions
If Pittsburgh takes a large defensive swing, it’s probably coming at cornerback. That aligns with team need and free agency depth. Robertson is connected to DC Patrick Graham from their time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
A small corner, Robertson plays large and has managed to stick on the outside for the bulk of his career. His interception production is light but his six forced fumbles since 2023. That’s fourth-most of any defensive back over that span. His lone pick last year came against the Cincinnati Bengals.
He’ll turn 28 during the summer, breaking Pittsburgh’s string of 30-something old cornerbacks well past their prime.
Eric Stokes/CB Las Vegas Raiders
His connection to DC Patrick Graham is just one piece of this puzzle. More salient is that Graham turned Stokes’ career around after struggling in Green Bay. Even on a bad Raiders team, Stokes improved his play and earned high marks. Though they should be taken with grains of salt, Stokes recorded easily the best Pro Football Focus coverage and overall defensive grades of his career.
Missed tackles are an issue, seven of them in 2025, but he also registered six run stops. Per PFF, he allowed just one touchdown all season and only 56 percent of his targets against were completed. A lack of interceptions, one for his entire career, is a drawback.
At 6-0 and nearly 200 pounds with over 32-inch arms, Stokes has size and athleticism. The former first-round pick blazed a 4.28 40 coming out of Georgia. Just turning 27, he also has the youth Pittsburgh should be coveting. A smart option on a deal that won’t be crazy large.
Nahshon Wright/CB Chicago Bears
Wright is definitely on my radar. His play in Chicago wasn’t perfect but there were plenty of highs and he came out of nowhere to have an excellent 2025 season. Great coaching from the Bears’ staff, including former NFL DB Al Harris, helped.
Picking off five passes and breaking up 11, Wright made the Pro Bowl. One of his interceptions came on Mason Rudolph’s first pass against Chicago in Week 12, showcasing his size and length battling DK Metcalf along the sideline.
Wright won’t turn 28 until the regular season begins. Pairing him opposite Joey Porter Jr. is intriguing as two big and long “Avatar” cornerbacks. Especially to defend Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins twice a season.
Montaric Brown/CB Jacksonville Jaguars
You can tell my interest for Pittsburgh is in corners. That’s supported by team need and the strength of the free agent class. Brown is a player I didn’t know much about until recently. A former seventh-round pick, he’s quietly played well for Jacksonville the past two years. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, an excellent coach, helped bring the best out of him in 2025.
Brown finished the year with career-bests in pass deflections (12) and interceptions (two). He his share of impressive plays.
In 2024, he was active behind the line of scrimmage with six tackles for a loss, though he went without this past season. An outside corner standing at 6-0, Brown won’t turn 27 until late summer. He’s a sneaky name who should be paid well, though it won’t be top-of-the-market, either. A sweet spot to sign him and still pay Joey Porter Jr. a potentially $100-million deal.
Alontae Taylor/CB New Orleans Saints
Taylor is a physical and versatile corner with experience playing inside and outside. At his cost and for what fits Pittsburgh best, Taylor would likely see most action out wide. A do-it-all player, Taylor picked off two passes, had two sacks, and made seven tackles for a loss last season.
He’s a little bit younger than Robertson and Wright, which is a nice little boost.
I wanted to put a safety on this list. It’s a need. But based on what’s available, nothing fit or truly made sense. Maybe Darnell Savage or Terrell Burgess, but no player truly stuck out to me. The draft class is strong and a perfectly fine direction for Pittsburgh to go, anyway.
Special Teams
Tommy Townsend or Jake Bailey/P
Of the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins, respectively. Pittsburgh should target a veteran punter to upgrade over Corliss Waitman. Townsend sat atop my list during the 2024 offseason when the Steelers signed Cameron Johnston instead. Townsend ranked tied for fifth in hangtime for 2025.
Bailey wasn’t far behind in seventh place. He also has a connection to new special teams coordinator Danny Crossman from their time together in Miami.
While both played in warm climates last season, they have cold-weather experience. Townsend punted in Kansas City and Bailey in New England so projecting how they’ll handle the elements isn’t guesswork.
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