The Steelers need to address several defensive flaws this training cam

Agreed.


Finding quality depth at IDL isn't easy but it isn't impossible. Plenty of those can be found in the middle rounds to even late rounds though there needs to be a realization that said player is gonna need to be coached up in the specificity of what he his shortcomings is. Benton isn't a NT by trade but he can be a solid DT or solid 3-4 5 Tech.


Now, as for your claim about Benton following Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh already has a protégé for Heyward. His name is Derrick Harmon. Most think Harmon is more a 5 Tech 3-4 DE but that would be a waste of his talents imo. Harmon's natural flexibility at nearly 320lbs makes him a devastating candidate to play at the DT spot.

 

Queen struggled with the processing and alignment responsibilities, leading to inconsistent play. To slow the game down and maximize Queen's sideline-to-sideline speed, coaches shifted Queen to WILL(inside/weak-side). The Steelers are going to struggle on defense with Queen as the MIKE(inside/strong-side). The Steelers need a MIKE. I was hoping they would address it in the recent draft.

 

Bumping a June thread of mine. Now that camp has ended, here are the defensive improvements that have emerged:

Black has locked down the listed nose tackle / DT role. He’s a huge body against the run and a clear upgrade.

Everette has been a pleasant surprise. He’s developing into a solid corner and should be able to hold his own in our dime package.

Spears has made several plays at safety and on special teams. A true draft gem as a 7th-round pick, he brings blazing speed and very good size to the position and can cover the back end.

Although he was added after my original post, Roberts has been solid. Color M. Harrison gone.

Our soft middle has been toughed up with Black, Spears, and Roberts!

 

Maybe Benton’s agent knew something they didn’t?

 

adding jenkins to the safety room has upgraded it as well. throw ramsey in the mix and the safety spots are well covered now.