Player: DL Sebastian Joseph-Day
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers needed defensive depth, and veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day will provide that, but in what capacity will he play? A seven-year veteran, he has played up and down the defensive line in many systems. With 90 starts under his belt across 3,510 snaps, he is more than your typical depth signing.
The Steelers bolstered their defensive line through the draft last year, and may well do so again in 2026. This year, however, they wanted to punch up the room with a bigger splash in free agency with the signing of Sebastian Joseph-Day to a two-year, $11 million contract. More notable than last year’s additions of Daniel Ekuale and Esezi Otomewo, he should see plenty of playing time.
Going into the heart of the offseason, the Steelers now have an arguably strong top five in the defensive line room. With Cam Heyward at the top, they added first-rounder Derrick Harmon last year. Keeanu Benton remains in the mix, and he started making more splash plays in 2025. Harmon’s draft classmate, Yahya Black, can also grow into a larger role. Throw Sebastian Joseph-Day into the mix, and you already have your gameday actives. And they already re-signed Otomewo, who may not even make the roster.
But the question is, what will the Steelers want Joseph-Day to do, when, and where? In recent seasons, he has hovered around 50-percent playing time or even less, but that’s still a good chunk of snaps. The Steelers always talk about wanting to give their starters more rest. A veteran like him, more so than a Dean Lowry, can actually do that.
The thing is, the Steelers primarily play in nickel, anyway, so we’re basically talking a three-technique. In a pinch, Joseph-Day could play from zero to wide, but that may be the role that is best for him. And though he’s about to turn 31, he does still produce. Last season, he had 2 sacks and 6 tackles for loss. But maybe Cam Heyward can teach him to get his hand up in the throwing lanes, because he has just 6 passes defensed in his career.
With the 2025 season behind us and the new league year underway, we still have stock to take. Already promisinga year of change, they are shaking things up. That is unavoidable, of course, when you gut the coaching staff. Mike Tomlin’s resignation will fundamentally change this football team, including the playoffs on the roster.
After a long season, we have finally seen that this Steelers team is playoff-bound. But they also showed that their progress was actually minimal,since they made it no further. Two years in a row, with two different quarterbacks, they went 10-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round. The only differences are they ended the season on a higher note and won the division. But it didn’t help.
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