With the 2026 NFL draft in the books and OTAs and minicamp upon us, we decided to update our predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers starting defense. We already took a shot at the offensive side of the football, where we expect to see plenty of new faces. Will the same be on defense after Pittsburgh committed so many resources to the offensive side of the football?
Defensive line
This trio returns, and we expect this group to be the strength of the defense. Derrick Harmon was almost unstoppable as a rookie last season when he was healthy and a full season should establish him as one of the top defensive linemen in the AFC. He’s paired up with the ageless Cam Heyward and powerful nose tackle Keeanu Benton.
Defensive tackle – Cam Hewyard
Nose tackle – Keeanu Benton
Defensive end – Derrick Harmon
Outside linebacker
This group should be the top group in the NFL but they have a lot of catching up to do after a miserable 2026 season. Being a stater in this group really means you are the first on the field but whether it’s Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig or Jack Sawyer, all guys will get reps and we hope the Steelers aren’t afraid to play the hot hand, no matter who it is.
T.J. Watt
Alex Highsmith
Inside linebacker
We expected the Steelers to deal Patrick Queen during the draft but with him still on the roster, he gets a starting spot by default. Queen will be joined by Payton Wilson. If the Steelers continue to shop Queen, Wilson will get more and more reps and he’s our top defensive candidate to be a breakout star this season.
Patrick Queen
Payton WIlson
Cornerback
Pittsburgh let some of its top cornerbacks leave last season and paid for it when injuries hit. The team wasted no time in correcting that this offseason and here is where we see our first new starter on defense with Jamel Dean paired up with Joey Porter Jr. We also include Jalen Ramsey here at the No. 3 cornerback and drop in Asante Samuel as our true nickel corner. Honestly, this is the deepest cornerback group the Steelers have had in 6-8 years.
Joey Porter Jr.
Jamel Dean
Jalen Ramsey
Asante Samuel Jr.
Safety
Safety is a position in flux and will be highly contested throughout training camp. We leave the option open for Jalen Ramsey to return to his spot at free safety where he dominated thanks to the depth at cornerback but for now, we give the nod to new safety Jaquan Brisker and lean in on Sebastian Castro and Robert Spears-Jennings developing quickly.
Free safety – Jaquan Brisker
Strong safety – DeShon Elliott
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Predicting the Steelers Week One starting defense after the NFL draft
