Five Most Intriguing Steelers Defensive Players Ahead Of Training Camp

This time next week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be well into the swing of things at training camp in Latrobe under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.

There, things are expected to be a bit different under McCarthy compared to the last 19 years of the Mike Tomlin era. Change can be good. It can create real opportunity for players across the board.

Though the general concensus is that the starting jobs are locked up in all three phases of the game, there will be key position battles for roster spots top to bottom from a depth and role perspective.

That’s what will make training camp so exciting to track this summer for the Black and Gold.

With more than 30 new faces on the roster from free agency signings, a trade and a big draft class, the Steelers have a lot of new faces to get to know. But there are some returning faces who need to answer some key questions, too.

Below are my five most intriguing Steelers defensive players ahead of training camp.

1. CARSON BRUENER, ILB

Inside linebacker is a major area of concern for the Steelers entering training camp. After seeing the group struggle last season against the run and in coverage, the Steelers shockingly ran it back with the same group, this time under a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham.

While Cole Holcomb might have “leapfrogged” Malik Harrison on the depth chart, and Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson are expected to bounce back, don’t sleep on second-year pro Carson Bruener possibly forcing his way into the mix.

Bruener was a terrific special teams piece last season, making his presence felt in that aspect of the game right away in the preseason. He earned rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers Association for his work on special teams last season and projects as a key piece in that area of the game once again, this time under new coordinator Danny Crossman.

But he’s more than just a special teams piece. During his time in college at Washington, Bruener was a tackling machine on defense. He showed good technique as a run defender and flashed at times in coverage with his athleticism. Could that translate to the NFL? I’d like to see him get the opportunity, especially in an underwhelming ILB room.

2. KEEANU BENTON, DL

Coming off a career-best 5.5 sacks, the arrow appears to be pointing up for Keeanu Benton entering the final year of his rookie contract. There’s been some buzz about a possible extension for the young defensive lineman, but there is one big lingering question over him ahead of the season.

What’s his role?

New defensive line coach Domata Peko stated earlier in the offseason that he believes Benton can play up and down the line of scrimmage, all while praising Yayha Black as a potentially great nose tackle. The Steelers might be better off with Black playing nose in base defense, but where does that leave Benton?

He came on strong as a pass rusher last season, especially after struggling early in the year as a run defender. He’s always seemed to be out of his element as a true nose tackle and more comfortable as that a 3-tech or a 4i where he can utilize his athleticism and explosiveness better.

I’m curious to see how he aligns in training camp and what the snaps look like up front under Peko and Graham.

3. JAQUAN BRISKER, S

During an offseason in which the Steelers made a lot of moves, none might be better than the addition of Pittsburgh native Jaquan Brisker at safety. The Steelers landed him on a cheap one-year deal, taking advantage of a surprising weak market for the experienced safety.

Back home, Brisker has had a great offseason and should have a huge role defensively for the Black and Gold. The last time he was on a football field, he was a dominant defensive piece for the Chicago Bears in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Brisker had 14 tackles in that game and lined up all over the defensive formation.

With Jalen Ramsey in the mix defensive backfield, the versatility element will fall to him, so I’m curious to see where Brisker aligns most often in training camp. He projects to be a great fit as a tandem with DeShon Elliott and should give the Steelers two very solid, physical safeties in the back end of the defense.

Hopefully Brisker can build off the hype he’s had this offseason once the pads come on.

4. DAYLEN EVERETTE, CB

Shortly after the Steelers selected Daylen Everette in the third round out of Georgia in the 2026 NFL Draft, the belief was he’d be a nice developmental piece in the secondary for the Black and Gold. But with Joey Porter Jr. conducting a bit of a hold-in during the offseason while seeking an extension, Everette took advantage of increased reps and impressed.

While he’s still behind Porter, free agent addition Jamel Dean and veterans Asante Samuel Jr. and Brandin Echols in the cornerback room, there is a lot of buzz surrounding Everette. 

He’s big, long, physical and fits the mold of what the Steelers have looked for at the position in recent years. It can’t be overlooked how fast he is, too. Once the pads come on, it will be worth watching to see if he can build on the excitement he generated in OTAs and minicamp.

If he does, the cornerback room looks even stronger for the Black and Gold, which is very exciting.

5. JAMIN DAVIS, LB

The signing of Jamin Davis after a tryout during minicamp was a bit of a surprise, especially after the Steelers signed him and started working him with the outside linebackers. I hesitate to list him as an OLB here, because I think his best fit in Pittsburgh is on the inside.

On a recent episode of The Terrible Podcast, I made the comparison between Davis and Malik Harrison, as both have inside/outside versatility and could be in direct competition with each other. Davis is a great athlete and was a high first-round pick for a reason, but he’s struggled to find consistency and stay healthy in the NFL.

Now, he gets another shot in Pittsburgh under a creative coordinator in Patrick Graham. Davis played two games in Las Vegas last season, so Graham must have seen something he liked.

I’ll be watching to see if he’s exclusively an outside linebacker, or if he floats between the outside and inside. He’ll need to show something on special teams, too. He hasn’t played much special teams in his career to date (87 special teams snaps).