Heading into training camp, what are the Steelers’ biggest strengths? In this two-part series, we’ll be power ranking Pittsburgh’s position groups on both offense and defense. Today, we’ll finish the series by looking at the latter.

Invert the ranking, and you get an idea of the team’s defensive needs heading into the new season:

5. Cornerback

Rostered: Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, Beanie Bishop Jr., Brandin Echols, Cory Trice Jr., Donte Kent, James Pierre, D’Shawn Jamison, Cameron McCutcheon, Kyler McMichael

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Cornerback is, without a doubt, the Steelers’ defensive position group with the most question marks entering 2025. But they could still be very good in the upcoming season. We’re already starting off on a much stronger foot than the offense rankings.

Joey Porter Jr. had an up-and-down second NFL season as the Steelers’ CB1 in 2024, leading the league’s defensive backs in penalties. The former No. 32 overall pick didn’t play anywhere near bad enough to be considered a potential draft bust, but he didn’t take the expected second year leap. His completion percentage and passer rating allowed, yards per target, and missed tackle percentage were all worse than his rookie season numbers.

The Steelers drafted Porter with high hopes, and while he’s been solid so far, he still has work to do to prove he can be a true lockdown corner.

Free agent addition Darius Slay is coming off an excellent 2024 where he won a Super Bowl as a starter on the Eagles’ top-ranked defense. But he’ll turn 35 in January — no matter how good his tape was last year, there are legitimate questions about how much longer he can be a plus starter at the position.

In the slot, the Steelers have even more uncertainty. Beanie Bishop Jr., a 2024 undrafted free agent, is expected to start. His rookie season was full of highs and lows, with Bishop starting six games and recording four interceptions; he also lost that starting job midseason and was a part of a number of coverage busts.

Seventh-round rookie Donte Kent is expected to compete with Bishop for the starting slot job.

And as for the reserves on the boundary, the Steelers added former Jets defensive back Brandin Echols in free agency, a career backup who can start in a pinch. The team also has 2023 seventh-rounder Cory Trice Jr., a talented, lengthy cornerback who’s struggled to stay healthy in both his college and pro career. James Pierre has eight career starts and is an experienced, quality gunner on special teams.

There are a lot of exciting names in this room — and also a lot that can go wrong.

4. Inside linebacker

Rostered: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, Cole Holcomb, Mark Robinson, Carson Bruener, Devin Harper

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It’s easy to be bullish on the Steelers’ inside linebacker corps, but like cornerback, there’s no guarantee everything goes right.

In 2024, Patrick Queen was signed with the biggest free agent contract in team history. The athletic linebacker had a rough start to the season but began to look like the second-team All-Pro he was signed to be later in the year.

Even then, he logged 129 combined tackles and played nearly every Steelers defensive snap in 2024. He’s vowed to be better in his second year with the team, and if he continues on his trajectory from last season, he’s on the right track.

Second-year linebacker Payton Wilson is the most pivotal Steelers linebacker entering the 2025 season, however. Last year, he looked every bit the athletic freak he tested as pre-draft, but was still learning the nuances of playing NFL linebacker. If he can become an every-down-capable defender, the duo of he and Queen could be an exciting one to watch.

There’s reason to be cautiously optimistic about the depth. The newly-signed Malik Harrison is a big-bodied run-stuffer who’s a necessary skill set to have around given Wilson and Queen’s playing style and body type. But it remains to be seen if Harrison can be the spark plug that Elandon Roberts was last year.

Also in the rotation is Cole Holcomb, who appears recovered from a brutal 2023 knee injury that sidelined him for a season and a half. When he was healthy, he was starting caliber. But there’s no guarantee he can get back to that level of play after missing so much time.

Filling out the preseason depth chart are two special-teamers in Mark Robinson and 2025 seventh-rounder Carson Bruener.

There’s a wide range of experience, athleticism, and playing styles in the inside linebacker rotation this season. If there’s one position group that could easily outperform expectations in 2025, it’s this one.

3. Defensive line

Rostered: Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Daniel Ekuale, Yahya Black, DeMarvin Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, Esezi Otomewo, Domenique Davis, Jacob Slade, Logan Lee

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The Steelers defensive line will be led by Cam Heyward — coming off yet another elite year — in 2025. Similarly to Darius Slay, the 35-year-old Heyward won’t stay a high-end starter forever. But he was one of the best D-linemen in the league last season and should still be a quality player for another year even if he does regress.

Keeanu Benton, coming off a solid second NFL season, should continue to see quality snaps at nose tackle and defensive end. At this stage in his career, he may never be a star, but he’s a good name to have in the rotation and still brings upside to the table.

The Steelers’ 2025 first-round pick, Derrick Harmon, is why this group is ranked as high as it is. Having Harmon allows the Steelers to give the veteran Heyward a bit more rest over the course of the season, and the rookie should be a disruptor at the line of scrimmage right off the bat. If he pans out, the Steelers defensive front could be special.

Behind the top three, the depth isn’t remarkable but it should get the job done. Names such as Danel Ekuale (16 starts last year), Yahya Black, DeMarvin Leal, Esezi Otomewo, Dean Lowry, and Isaiahh Loudermilk bring a variety of skill sets to the table that should fill out the room well. And the Steelers’ reliance on two-down-linemen fronts in their oft-used sub packages means this room will be able to survive the occasional injury.

2. Safety

Rostered: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Sebastian Castro, Quindell Johnson

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The Steelers’ safety room might actually be underrated. Sure, Minkah Fitzpatrick’s once-signature splash plays have now been down for two years, but he’s still an excellent free safety even if he hasn’t been able to reach his old heights.

At strong safety, DeShon Elliott had an incredible 2024 in his first season in Pittsburgh, excelling as an enforcer near the line of scrimmage. A energetic, hard-hitting complement to Fitzpatrick’s coverage savvy, he earned every bit of his recent two-year, $12.5 million contract extension.

The newly-signed Juan Thornhill will be replacing Damontae Kazee as the Steelers’ third safety in 2025 in what has been an understated offseason roster move for Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old Thornhill has 74 career starts and two Super Bowl rings, and he should be an immediate upgrade to the Steelers’ safety depth.

The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo recently labelled Thornhill as a “sneaky important player” whose usage could allow Pittsburgh to put Fitzpatrick in a better spot to succeed.

Rounding out the depth chart are Miles Killebrew — an elite special-teamer — and undrafted free agent Sebastian Castro — an excellent college player who still needs to prove his poor testing numbers won’t end his NFL hopes. He’s far from a guarantee to make the roster, but could be a fun player to watch over the preseason.

Even if you’re not that high on Minkah Fitzpatrick after his last two seasons, it’s hard to deny that this Pittsburgh safety group is solid from top to bottom.

1. Outside linebacker

Rostered: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer, Jeremiah Moon, Eku Leota, Julius Welschof

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Who else? Even after just 11.5 sacks from T.J. Watt last season, No. 90 — assuming his contract dispute is settled in the next month or so — should once again be among the elite as his position.

Watt is joined by a solid-all-around running mate in Alex Highsmith and one of the best third-string pass-rushers in the league in Nick Herbig. Fourth-round rookie Jack Sawyer is stout against the ground game and a strong candidate to rotate in on the occasional run down.

Even Jeremiah Moon, who’s likely on the outside looking in following the Sawyer pick, had some good moments on special teams last season including a blocked punt.

Similarly to the Steelers’ safety room, even a down year from this group’s top player shouldn’t be enough to sink its overall talent and depth. For yet another season, Pittsburgh’s outside linebackers look like the strength of the team and one of the best units in the entire league.