Under Omar Khan and Andy Weidl, the Pittsburgh Steelers have invested heavily in one side of the trenches. They’ve repeatedly used high draft picks on the offensive line, though how well that group develops remains to be seen. With no more picks needed there, Bob Labriola says the front office must show the same energy when it comes to the other side of the line.
Responding to a reader question, Labriola became the latest to call on Pittsburgh to address defensive line with vigor.
“I believe the Steelers must treat their defensive line with the same urgency with which they have treated their offensive line over the previous couple of offseasons,” Labriola wrote in his [Asked and Answered column.](https://www.steelers.com/news/asked-and-answered-march-20) “That means using premium draft picks to address the unit.”
Khan’s first drafts attacked the offensive line. For the first time in franchise history, Pittsburgh spent first-round picks on offensive tackle in back-to-back years. In 2024, three of the team’s first five selections fortified the o-line. Troy Fautanu in the first round, Zach Frazier in the second round, and Mason McCormick in the fourth round. Frazier and McCormick logged substantial playing time as rookies, while Fautanu would’ve joined them had he not been sidelined by a season-ending knee injury.
The jury’s still out on how well the group will coalesce. Frazier looks like a stud and literal centerpiece of the future. But Broderick Jones regressed as a sophomore and enters a critical third year, now shifting back to the blindside. Fautanu is largely an unknown, and McCormick has to improve his pass protection.
But at least there’s a vision. Defensively, the work is just beginning. Cam Heyward’s play remains at a high level, but he’s poised to play just two more seasons, and Pittsburgh has already begun managing his snap count. The 71 percent of snaps he logged a year ago was his lowest percentage in a non-injury year since 2012. Nose tackle Keeanu Benton didn’t take the leap expected in 2024 and there’s no Third Musketeer in the lineup [after Larry Ogunjobi’s release.](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/03/rapoport-steelers-release-dl-larry-ogunjobi/)
April’s draft presents a strong opportunity to upgrade. It’s a deep defensive line class that will give Pittsburgh plenty of options. But without a second-round pick, the Steelers feel boxed in to address the position in the first round, leaving them at the mercy of what happens in the first 20 picks. If their targets start coming off the board, they may have to consider trading up.
Since 2016, Pittsburgh has only drafted one defensive lineman in the top two rounds. That was Benton in 2023. The previous example was Stephon Tuitt in 2014, who retired years ago.
The Steelers are mimicking the Eagles’ model, and that means being strong on both sides of the trenches. Pittsburgh has taken big swings offensively. It’s time to do the same defensively.