There has been an excitement rising since the Steelers made their blockbuster deal that included trading Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey. We haven't necessarily seen it play out on the field just yet, but it's coming … soon.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has long wanted to be a primarily man coverage secondary team, capable of matching up with any team on the back end. Some seasons the Steelers have been able to pull it off. Others not so much.
The 2024 season was not so much.
So, they worked with a lot of smoke and mirrors. And the coverage suffered.
With the additions of both Slay and Ramsey, the Steelers can match up man-to-man against any team in the league, while still having the capability of playing various other coverages.
Take a look at the Steelers initial 2025 53-man roster
OL Calvin Anderson- No. 67
OL Calvin Anderson- No. 67
OL Spencer Anderson- No. 74
OL Spencer Anderson- No. 74
WR Calvin Austin III- No. 19
WR Calvin Austin III - No. 19
DT Keeanu Benton- No. 95
DT Keeanu Benton- No. 95
DT Yahya Black- No. 78
DT Yahya Black- No. 78
K Chris Boswell- No. 9
K Chris Boswell- No. 9
LB Carson Bruener- No. 44
LB Carson Bruener- No. 44
CB Brandin Echols- No. 26
CB Brandin Echols- No. 26
DT Daniel Ekuale- No. 96
DT Daniel Ekuale- No. 96
S DeShon Elliott- No. 25
S DeShon Elliott- No. 25
OT Troy Fautanu- No. 76
OT Troy Fautanu- No. 76
C Zach Frazier- No. 54
C Zach Frazier- No. 54
TE Pat Freiermuth- No. 88
TE Pat Freiermuth- No. 88
RB Kenneth Gainwell- No. 14
RB Kenneth Gainwell- No. 14
DT Derrick Harmon- No. 99
DT Derrick Harmon- No. 99
LB Malik Harrison- No. 50
LB Malik Harrison- No. 50
LB Nick Herbig- No. 51
LB Nick Herbig- No. 51
DT Cameron Heyward- No. 97
DT Cameron Heyward- No. 97
TE/FB Connor Heyward- No. 83
TE/FB Connor Heyward- No. 83
LB Alex Highsmith- No. 56
LB Alex Highsmith- No. 56
LB Cole Holcomb- No.55
LB Cole Holcomb- No. 55
QB Will Howard- No. 18
QB Will Howard- No. 18
RB Kaleb Johnson- No. 20
RB Kaleb Johnson- No. 20
OT Broderick Jones- No. 77
OT Broderick Jones- No. 77
CB Donte Kent- No. 34
CB Donte Kent- No. 34
S Miles Killebrew- No. 28
S Miles Killebrew- No. 28
LS Christian Kuntz- No. 46
LS Christian Kuntz- No. 46
DL Logan Lee- No. 91
DL Logan Lee- No. 91
DT Isaiahh Loudermilk- No. 92
DT Isaiahh Loudermilk- No. 92
C Ryan McCollum- No. 62
C Ryan McCollum- No. 62
G Mason McCormick- No. 66
G Mason McCormick- No. 66
WR DK Metcalf- No. 4
WR DK Metcalf- No. 4
WR Scotty Miller- No. 13
WR Scotty Miller- No. 13
DT Esezi Otomewo- No. 72
DT Esezi Otomewo- No. 72
G Andrus Peat- No. 68
G Andrus Peat- No. 68
CB Joey Porter Jr.- No. 24
CB Joey Porter Jr.- No. 24
LB Patrick Queen- No. 6
LB Patrick Queen- No. 6
CB Jalen Ramsey- No. 5
CB Jalen Ramsey- No. 5
QB Aaron Rodgers- No. 8
QB Aaron Rodgers- No. 8
QB Mason Rudolph- No. 2
QB Mason Rudolph- No. 2
LB Jack Sawyer- No. 33
LB Jack Sawyer- No. 33
OL Isaac Seumalo- No. 73
OL Isaac Seumalo- No. 73
WR Ben Skowronek- No. 15
WR Ben Skowronek- No. 15
CB Darius Slay- No. 23
CB Darius Slay- No. 23
TE Jonnu Smith- No. 81
TE Jonnu Smith- No. 81
QB Skylar Thompson- No. 17
QB Skylar Thompson- No. 17
S Juan Thornhill- No. 22
S Juan Thornhill- No. 22
P Corliss Waitman- No. 3
P Corliss Waitman- No. 3
RB Jaylen Warren- No. 30
RB Jaylen Warren- No. 30
TE Darnell Washington- No. 80
TE Darnell Washington- No. 80
LB T.J. Watt- No. 90
LB T.J. Watt- No. 90
LB Payton Wilson- No. 41
LB Payton Wilson- No. 41
WR Roman Wilson- No. 10
WR Roman Wilson- No. 10
It should make the secondary one of, if not the best, in the NFL, leading to more turnovers, sacks and just general chaos.
And with all three DBs on the field together on a consistent basis opponents can have fun trying to pick which defensive back to test. Slay and Ramsey are both ball hawks and Joey Porter Jr. has worked consistently this offseason on his ball skills to improve his takeaways.
"It's a big year for him. Year three man. He's really excited about it," Tomlin said of Porter. "I think it's really good to have some established veterans around him that have kind of been over some of the ground that he aspires to cover. Guys like Jalen and Slay are really helpful to him in terms of just having been there and done that. He's had a good process. I think the company he keeps, those two savvy veterans, has a lot to do with it as well."
It's coming. Don't worry about who lines up where. Don't worry about who matches up with whom. Just know things are going to get covered.
Those three corners on the field together at the same time are just plain scary.
• One of the interesting developments that came out of the final preseason game in Carolina was that immediately after Derrick Harmon suffered a knee sprain, fifth-round draft pick Yahya Black recorded a sack and then forced a fumble on back-to-back plays.
That is not only showing the game is not too big for him, it's showing the game just comes to him.
Black wasn't a big sack production player or fumble producer in college. But he's most certainty capable. That two stretch of plays most certainly showed that.
The Steelers utilize their bye week to prepare for the upcoming Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Julius Welschof (45) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (10) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (19) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Steven Jones (79) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Robert Woods (16) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson (17) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. (31) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Sebastian Castro (29) and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Logan Lee (91) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay (23) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Juan Thornhill (22) and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back D'Shawn Jamison (17) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back D'Shawn Jamison (17) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back D'Shawn Jamison (17) and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Miles Killebrew (28) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Miles Killebrew (28) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Yahya Black (78) and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Logan Lee (91) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb (55), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Carson Bruener (44), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Malik Harrison (50) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (96) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Isaiahh Loudermilk (92) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
• The Steelers are clearly flying under the radar heading into this season. And that's fine.
They are a clearly better team than they were in 2024. And they are markedly better than they were in 2023, when they also made the postseason.
This is a team that can clearly make some moves in the postseason in 2025. It's a team certainly capable of winning playoff games.
Health will play a huge factor in that, which is why Tomlin milked his veterans through the preseason. That doesn't guarantee health at the end of the season, but it sure doesn't hurt, either.
• Keep an eye on Calvin Austin III early this season. If he and Aaron Rodgers click early, it could mean big things for the Steelers.
Some look at Austin and see him as simply a slot receiver. That is very far from the truth. In fact, pound for pound, Austin might be the toughest player on the team, if not the league.
Austin has shown time and again that he can take a hit and bounce right back up.
He also has the speed to outrun nearly anyone in the league. And Rodgers' release and arm strength makes him reachable anywhere on the field.
Opponents can double team DK Metcalf at their own risk. If they also single Austn, they will be playing with fire/
• Harmon's potential knee injury was a huge dodge of a major catastrophe for the Steelers. But it shows the balance coaches have to walk to prep for the regular season while also trying to stay healthy.
While Harmon needs to be ready to play once the season starts, he also needs to be healthy. That could have been wrecked all in one play. Fortunately for the Steelers, that was not the case.
Harmon will be back at some point, and the Steelers will be a better team for it.
Let's kick this season off.
