The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason has been busy, and it’s hard to believe we’re in the final week of OTAs already. Ever since Mike Tomlin stepped down, the coaching staff and the roster have experienced a whirlwind of change. To Charlie Batch, signing Jamel Dean was the best move of all the offseason additions.
“I’m gonna go with that, because you needed to secure the backend,” Batch said last week on his Snap Count podcast. “They needed to stabilize that secondary. And I think having him being the opposite side corner, I think that’s gonna be something that we all get excited about. Because this guy proved he can get it done, has the tape to back it up.”
Joey Porter Jr. took a massive step last year, but the Steelers weren’t able to get much consistency across from him. Their hopeful trio fell apart when Darius Slay was released midseason, and Jalen Ramsey started spending more time at safety. Players like James Pierre and Brandin Echols stepped up at times. But there wasn’t a consistent contributor throughout the entire year.
Jamel Dean should provide that. Coming from Tampa Bay, he put together another excellent season in 2025. Dean allowed completions on less than half the balls thrown his way and a passer rating of just 63.1 when targeted. He’ll need to be consistent, as he hasn’t played in more than 14 games since 2022. But when healthy, Dean can hold things down on his side of the field.
He is someone Porter hasn’t had across from him very often during his young career. Dean seems like a stylistic fit, as another aggressive, long cornerback who’s physical at the line of scrimmage. It’s an identity the Steelers are making clear this offseason, as third-round pick Daylen Everette has some similar traits.
Pittsburgh didn’t get enough out of its expensive defense in 2025. It’s now got a new name in charge, DC Patrick Graham, and a couple of new faces. But of all the additions on both sides of the ball, Batch points to Jamel Dean as the most crucial.
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