Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) participates in drills during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Last week, Ryan and Ryland gave you the top storylines to follow on the offense as the Steelers prepare to start training camp. With Wednesday marking the first practice open to the public, Read & React return to give you all the things you should be on the lookout for on the opposite side of the ball.

Patrick Graham’s influence

RP: Of all the changes the Steelers made this offseason, the naming of Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator may be the hardest to pre-evaluate with any sense of certainty. Graham comes to Pittsburgh with a seemingly positive reputation among NFL circles, though it is difficult to point to any particularly stellar defenses on his resume. Rather, he is a coach who has been credited with making the most out of some truly awful rosters on paper.

Graham has worked under several respected defensive minds during his NFL journey. For seven seasons, starting in 2009, Graham worked his way up the coaching ranks in New England, learning from Bill Belichick. Following that, a two-year stop with the Giants had Graham paired with Steve Spagnuolo. A one-year stop in 2018 had him working under Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. In 2019, Graham took his first defensive coordinator job with first-year head coach Brian Flores. Graham then spent two seasons as the Giants defensive coordinator and assistant head coach before joining the Raiders as coordinator in 2022.

With such a varied CV and a wealth of coaching philosophy inspirations, it’s no wonder that Graham has thus far been a bit of a chameleon. He’s known for adapting his defenses to the players at his disposal, which makes pinning down a signature concept or scheme with his defenses difficult. Head coach Mike McCarthy insisted during his introductory presser that much of the Steelers’ defensive philosophies will remain the same, which I interpret to mean that the Steelers “base” defense will remain in a 3-4 alignment. However, with the 2025 Steelers running sub-packages at a 61% rate, according to Sharp Football Analysis, I’m not exactly sure how important that will be to the bottom line.

Looking at some basic stats also makes it hard to paint a picture of Graham’s potential and impact, given the rosters he was handed. As I mentioned previously, his three prior defensive coordinator jobs have been the Raiders, the Ben McAdoo-led Giants, and the first year of the Brian Flores Dolphins — you know, when Flores alleges Miami owner Stephen Ross offered him a $100,000 bonus for every loss. I won’t list out every defensive roster Graham has overseen, but a quick Wikipedia or Ourlads search of those teams will show you what I’m talking about.

Stat	Seasons with a top-10 ranking	Seasons with a bottom-10 ranking
PPG	2	5
Total YPG	0	2
Passing YPG	0	2
Rushing YPG	1	2

It could be argued that this year’s Steeler defense is the best collection of talent Graham has ever had to work with as a coordinator. Whether Graham’s playcalling and scheming proves to be a ceiling raiser, merely provides a relatively high floor, or something else entirely will be one of the top storylines to follow this season.

Can Steelers’ pass rush return to elite form?

RB: The Steelers’ outside linebacker room is still considered very good and perhaps the biggest strength of the team, but it’s fair to say it doesn’t look quite as formidable as it has in past seasons. In fact, not a single member of the black and gold logged a double-digit sack season in 2025, with Alex Highsmith coming the closest with 9.5. Nick Herbig finished second with 7.5, while T.J. Watt surprisingly came in at third with just seven.

It’ll be interesting to see how Watt’s game evolves as he plays deeper into his 30s. He obviously still has gas in the tank, but isn’t as twitchy of a speed rusher as he was in his prime. With a fresh start of sorts under a new coaching staff in 2026, there’s hope he’ll be able to unlock more of his game with a greater emphasis on power and moving around the formation.

Meanwhile, Herbig is an ascending talent who got a big payday from the Steelers in June, showing the team sees him as a long-term starting piece moving forward. His increasing development and usage will be something to watch.

Highsmith, who I’d argue was the team’s best all-around outside linebacker last year, isn’t as intriguing from a storyline perspective, but it will be interesting to see how coordinator Patrick Graham decides to split snaps between him, Watt and Herbig.

Don’t forget about second-year outside linebacker Jack Sawyer, either. He’s still the clear No. 4 option in the room, but made some plays as a rookie, and could make a leap in 2026.

The interior pass rush is a bit of a story as well. While Keeanu Benton recorded a career-best 5.5 sacks in 2025, Cam Heyward recorded his lowest total in a full season since 2012 with 3.5. How will the Steelers best push the pocket from the inside in 2026?

A new look secondary

RP: Of the eight defensive backs that were on the Steelers’ initial 53-man roster in 2025, only four remain on the roster. This change is especially clear at safety, where DeShon Elliott — who played in only five games due to injuries in 2025— is the lone safety remaining from that group, as well as Kyle Dugger and Jabril Peppers, who were added in-season but not retained for 2026. Meanwhile, three cornerbacks return: budding star Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and the versatile Brandin Echols. A fourth corner, Asante Samuel Jr., is also back after joining the team last November and agreeing to a one-year contract this offseason.

While Porter had a great individual season a year ago,...

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