Can the Steelers New DC Turn Their Promising Linebacker Group into One of the Best in 2026?
It is no surprise that the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of, if not the best, outside linebacker groups in the NFL. With players such as T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and promising second-year player Jack Sawyer, Pittsburgh has shown to be one of the better teams at getting to the quarterback, forcing turnovers, and causing chaos. Despite this excellence with their edge rushers, Pittsburgh has struggled defensively at the inside linebacker position since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending injury in 2017. The Steelers hoped this would change when they brought in former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency after the 2023 season and when they drafted former North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson with the 98th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Although flashy plays have been made, Queen and Wilson have not lived up to the hype that Steelers fans and the organization had hoped for. It did not help that Cole Holcomb, brought in after the 2022 season, played only eight games for Pittsburgh before suffering an injury that kept him out for the remainder of the 2023 season, as well as the entire 2024 season.
After another mediocre season, in which the Steelers finished 10-7, former head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down from his role as Steelers head coach, paving the way for a full reset with the Steelers coaching staff. The Steelers brought in former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to be their new head coach, allowing him to hand-pick his new staff. McCarthy brought in former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, whom he had previously worked with during his time in Green Bay. Graham, having a history of working as a linebacker coach with the Packers in 2018, provides a great opportunity for Queen and Wilson to show their true colors. In a statement made by Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, he says, “Now I think that a little bit, not teaching, but drilling a little bit differently, maybe Wilson is able to get that back, his coverage abilities, and all of a sudden, you got a star linebacker at that point.”
The Steelers locker room has already shown trust in Graham, who led the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense to be the 14th-best in the league this past season. In an article by Chris Ward, he states that Graham “is considered one of the brightest defensive-minded coaches in the game, and has a reputation of doing more with less.” Coming from a Raiders defense primarily led by superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby, Graham will now get to work with the highest-paid defense in the NFL, led by many star players such as Watt, Highsmith, DT Cameron Heyward, FS/CB Jalen Ramsey, and CB Joey Porter Jr just to name a few. With a great track record as Green Bay’s linebackers coach, running a stellar defense for three seasons with the Raiders, and a close relationship with McCarthy, the Steelers organization and fans alike have high hopes for the defense in 2026.
