PALM BEACH, Fla. — After striking out on acquiring a big-name defensive lineman in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to address that deficiency early in the NFL Draft.
Or are they?
General manager Omar Khan’s choice of words during his media availability this week at the league’s annual meeting was complimentary of what the organization has stockpiled along the defensive front
“I like the group we have,” Khan said.
Despite allowing 299 rushing yards to the Baltimore Ravens in the 28-14 wild-card playoff loss, the Steelers have made minimal changes to the defensive line in the offseason. At the outset of free agency, they released Larry Ogunjobi in a salary-cap savings move.
A week into the process, the Steelers landed Daniel Ekuale, formerly of the New England Patriots, on a one-year, $2.8 million deal. They brought back free-agent depth piece Isaiahh Loudermilk and added Esezi Otomewo to a veteran-minimum contract.
Not exactly wholesale changes to a group that counts ageless Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton as foundational pieces and little else behind them.
“When you go into free agency, you set out a plan and hopefully things work out and you adjust,” Khan said, “but I don’t think anybody will tell you that they feel like they can address everything in one free agency round.”
Khan, though, is counting on the team’s 2024 sixth-round pick making an impact after he missed his entire rookie season with an injury.
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“Logan Lee is healthy,” Khan said. “He has a chance to step up and be a part of it. I felt good about some of the guys on the line. But as I always say, if there’s an opportunity to improve any position group, we’re going to look at it.”
Benton, taken in the second round in 2023, is the highest-drafted defensive lineman taken by the Steelers since Stephon Tuitt in 2014. Heyward represents the last first-round pick along the defensive line, joining the Steelers in 2011.
That could change this year if one of three prospects with mid first-round grades remains on the board: Mississippi’s Walter Nolan, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant and Oregon’s Derrick Harmon. After spending first-round picks on offensive linemen in his first two drafts as general manager, Khan could turn his attention to the defensive front.
“The trenches are important,” he said. “I’ve always talked about those big guys on both sides of the ball, so we understand where we’re at.”
The likelihood of the Steelers taking a defensive lineman in the first round seemed to increase when they didn’t get one of the top veterans in free agency. Early in the process, they got two cornerbacks, including a starter in Darius Slay, and an inside linebacker, but not anyone at the first level of the defense.
“I don’t know (if) I would describe it as disappointed; I just think it’s free agency. It’s a free market,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “Sometimes you’re able to check some boxes, sometimes you aren’t. We’ve got two main avenues in which we acquire talent. We need to acquire talent across multiple positions, and oftentimes when we check a box in free agency, we don’t have to check it in the draft and vice versa.”
Like Khan, Tomlin is encouraged that the Steelers added Ekuale to the mix along the defensive line. After spending one year each in Cleveland and Jacksonville to start his career, Ekuale found a home in New England. He spent the past four seasons with the Patriots, but it wasn’t until 2024 that he earned a full-time starting role.
Ekuale, who is 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, started 16 games for the Patriots last season and compiled a career-best 52 tackles. He tied career highs with two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. Modest numbers, to be sure, but Tomlin thinks Ekuale can help defend the run.
“This is a guy that really plays blocks and recognizes run schemes extremely well,” he said. “I expect him to be an anchor point for us in that regard to control the line of scrimmage, particularly in run down circumstances.”
