Boardregeln » The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is often ridiculed

Franco Harris Jersey , but how close are they from being a dominant unit?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteBehind the Steel Curtaina Pittsburgh Steelers communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsSteelersOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsFiled under:Latest NewsFeatures and Long FormFrom a personnel standpoint, how close is the Steelers’ defense from being dominant?New,56commentsThe Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is often ridiculed, but how close are they from being a dominant unit?EDTShareTweetShareShareFrom a personnel standpoint, how close is the Steelers’ defense from being dominant?Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY SportsOn the latest episode of the BTSC Pittsburgh Steelers podcast “The Standard is the Standard” (you can hear it in the player below) I asked my co-host Lance Williams how close he thought this defense was to becoming dominant. When I mentioned dominance, I referenced the feeling felt in those early-to-late 2000s when you always had the feeling the defense was going to step up and make a play.To the contrary, most recently the Steelers’ defense has left fans with the “here we go again” feeling more than the “they got this” feeling. But how close are they to bringing a dominant defense back to Pittsburgh? Shockingly, Lance thought they weren’t as far off as many might believe.From a personnel standpoint, I wanted to go back and look at those 2000s defenses, look at the personnel they had and compare it to what the Steelers will be putting on the gridiron this season. A lot has changed in the game since then Darrius Heyward-Bey Jersey , but this is a great point of reference to the overall potential of the defense heading into the 2019 regular season.Noseguard:Then: Casey HamptonNow: Javon HargraveHargrave isn’t nearly the run stuffer Hampton was, but when it comes to rushing the passer Hargrave is far superior. Hampton was known to plug holes and occupy blockers, while Hargrave registered 6.5 sacks in 2018. Two different styles, both great in their own way.Defensive End:Then: Brett Keisel / Aaron SmithNow: Cameron Heyward / Stephon TuittOn paper, Heyward and Tuitt should be the better unit, but Smith was possibly the most underrated player on those legendary defenses, while Keisel was a grinder who always seemed to make a play when it mattered the most. Heyward is one of the best 3-4 DE in the game today, and Tuitt is brimming with potential. If Tuitt can live up to his contract this duo could be absolutely dominant.Outside Linebacker:Then: James Harrison / LaMarr WoodleyNow: T.J. Watt / Bud DupreeOf the positions covered so far, this might be the one skewed the most towards those 2000s defenses. When Woodley and Harrison were on, no one was stopping them. While Watt is showing flashes of dominance Dermontti Dawson Jersey , Dupree is hardly the equivalent opposite him and this causes issues.Inside Linebacker:Then: Larry Foote / James FarriorNow: Vince Williams / Devin Bush or Mark BarronAgain, a huge nod to the 2000s units, but there is a lot which has yet to be known about the 2019 defense. On paper you look at Foote and Farrior and realize how great they were in their prime, but no one knows what Devin Bush, or Mark Barron, will look like on the inside. Either way, Farrior played at a defensive player of the year candidate in his prime, and gives a big reason why this current group might be lacking at this position.Cornerback:Then: Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Deshea TownsendNow: Joe Haden Chris Boswell Jersey , Steven Nelson, Mike HiltonCall me crazy, but I like the 2019 cornerbacks a lot. Granted, a lot of those feelings are riding on the success, or failure, of Nelson, but let’s not pretend those 2000s defenses had the greatest cornerbacks ever seen in black-and-gold.Safety:Then: Ryan Clark / Troy PolamaluNow: Terrell Edmunds / Sean DavisPossibly the biggest discrepancy of those dominant defenses and the current group is at the safety position. Polamalu was a generational talent, and he and Clark played together perfectly. While Edmunds’ and Davis’ stories have yet to be completely written, they are a far cry from those aforementioned players.Conclusion:While this exercise was a fun and nostalgic one, you can clearly see where the deficiencies lie within the current defense. While I like the Steelers’ front three Merril Hoge Jersey , their OLB, ILB and Safeties leave a lot to be desired.Before fans start to think twice about considering this current defense as legit, understand the players we are referencing from those previous defenses. Polamalu and Harrison were Defensive Player of the Year players. Those don’t just grow on trees. Could Bush/Barron and Williams be as good as Foote and Farrior? Maybe not, but they could be pretty close. Could Edmunds and Davis put some legitimacy back to the Steelers’ safety position? One would expect them to only get better in Year 2.All in all, I feel this defense has continued to take steps in the right direction from a personnel standpoint. The question now is whether the team can put everything together and show some improvement on the field. Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert said at Monday’s pre-draft press conference that the addition of Donte Moncrief in free agency wouldn’t stop the team from addressing the wide receiver position again in the draft.Colbert also said that he hoped Moncrief’s addition made the need for a rookie to play “less urgent.” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s own comments about a group that no longer includes Antonio Brown pointed to another player who could keep a new arrival off the field.Tomlin said that he felt comfortable with the current group of receivers because he thinks 2018 second-round pick James Washington will do more this year. Tomlin said that the Steelers “expect great things” in Washington’s second season.Washington played more snaps than any wideout other than Brown and JuJu Smith Schuster last season, but ended the year with 16 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown.