The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially signed corner Jamel Dean. A seven-year veteran, Dean is coming off his best NFL season with a career-high three interceptions in 2025. The Steelers’ defense disappointed last year, but Dean should help that unit get back on track. It should also have a new scheme with Patrick Graham as the new defensive coordinator. While Dean has never played for Graham, he shared a funny story from before he was drafted when he met his new coach.
“Coming into the league, he grilled me during our formal interview,” Dean said Friday via the team’s YouTube channel. “I heard the rumors that coaches would try to get under your skin, but I didn’t let it bother me. I guess there was one play where I accidentally loafed. And then he kept drilling that, ‘You’re just a lazy person.’
“And I’m like, ‘Oh, wow.’ Then, he asked me another question like, ‘What are you gonna do in the offseason?’ And I just said, ‘I’m gonna relax first then I’ll start working out.’ Then he started saying, ‘So you’re lazy?’ I was like, ‘Come on. What are you doing here?'”
Dean had fun while telling the story, laughing at the interaction. While Graham gave it to him pretty good, there are no hard feelings. Dean said as much, revealing that he had some fun when he met Graham as a member of the Steelers.
“I said, ‘Glad we’re starting off on the right foot this time.’ It was a great conversation we had,” he said.
Dean entered the league in 2019 when Graham was the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator. That was his first time holding that title at the NFL level, so he might have felt like he had a lot to prove. That could explain why he was extra hard on prospects like Dean.
The Dolphins didn’t draft a corner that year, and Graham was out as their defensive coordinator once the season ended. However, he’s bounced back since then, holding that title with three other organizations.
Graham has a solid track record as a defensive coordinator. Despite not always having a ton of talent, he’s managed to get his units to play above expectations. The Steelers have a plethora of talented defensive players, so it will be interesting to see how Graham deploys them.
Dean in particular should fit in Pittsburgh like a glove. One of the first things Graham praised about the Steelers’ defense was its size, and Dean adds to that. He gives them another big corner to pair opposite Joey Porter Jr., which should also allow them to move some of their other secondary pieces around.
While Dean and Graham didn’t connect well in 2019, a lot of time has passed since then. Both of them have had a lot of different experiences in the meantime, and now, they’ll be looking to make an impact in their first year in Pittsburgh.
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