The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the biggest coaching changes of the offseason by hiring Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator. Still, not everyone was sold on the move after reviewing the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 defensive numbers.
Those concerns, however, may be missing the bigger picture.
In a recent breakdown from The Athletic, Steelers insider Mike DeFabo explained why Graham's work with the Raiders shouldn't be judged solely by the final statistics.
“When the Steelers hired Graham, it would have been easy to look at some of the basic stats from 2025 (25th in points per game allowed, 25.4, and 14th in yards per game, 317.8) and be a bit underwhelmed. As these clips show, however, Graham’s reputation as a defensive mind far exceeds those raw numbers. Context is critical. Last year, Graham was sometimes hamstrung by Carroll’s philosophy. The Raiders also spent about $55 million less on defense last year than the Steelers.”
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It's an important reminder that coaching doesn't happen in a vacuum. Scheme, personnel, and organizational philosophy all play major roles in determining a defense's success. While the Raiders struggled to consistently stop opposing offenses, Graham was working with a roster that lacked the same level of investment and star power he'll now inherit in Pittsburgh.
“There is no Pat Graham playbook,” the new Steelers' DC said. “The playbook evolves once I get around the guys.”
As DeFabo noted, Graham is stepping into an ideal situation with one of the league's most expensive and talented defensive units.
“There’s reason to believe that with a more complete roster, Graham will be able to deploy similar tactics with even more success. Ultimately, it’s a double-edged sword. Graham has the blessing of coordinating the NFL’s highest-paid defense but also the burden that comes with it. If the Steelers are going to reach their ceiling and enjoy success in Mike McCarthy’s first season, getting the defense to play up to its collective paycheck might be the biggest part of that equation.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the biggest coaching changes of the offseason by hiring Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator. Still, not everyone was sold on the move after reviewing the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 defensive numbers. Those concerns, however, may be missing the bigger picture.