Dropping Minkah Fitzpatrick was a shock to Pittsburgh Steelers followers and a number of the gamers themselves. However in return, Jalen Ramsey gives quite a lot of expertise and, importantly, flexibility. By getting a nook who can play in so many roles, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin believes the protection turns into extra versatile as a complete.
“Particularly, you’re speaking about T.J. [Watt] transferring round, doing a little various things,” Austin stated, talking on the Breakfast With Benz podcast from coaching camp on Tuesday. “You wanna have the ability to again it up with good protection on the again finish. And whether or not that’s man [coverage] or that’s zone, it’s important to have the items to do it. And I believe he provides us a little bit little bit of flexibility, if we have to play a little bit bit extra man to do this stuff, we should always have the ability to.”
Fitzpatrick had a stable 12 months in 2024, however Ramsey did as properly, and is rather more of a chess piece. At cornerback, he can play each exterior and within the slot. He has the physicality wanted to compete with larger receivers exterior, however has transitioned to the slot properly at instances in his profession. Notably, he performed within the slot throughout the Los Angeles Rams’ Tremendous Bowl run within the 2021 season and earned First-Workforce All-Professional honors.
In Pittsburgh, security is extra of a query. Though the Steelers did herald Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark, it’s onerous to exchange Fitzpatrick. Ramsey has additionally spent a while at security throughout coaching camp. That stated, most of his work will come at cornerback, most likely on the within. A 3-headed trio of Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. is frightening for any offense.
One purpose for that’s their capability to play man-coverage. All three of these gamers can achieve this, and that permits room for experimentation throughout the unit, as Austin suggests. In the direction of the top of the 2024 season, the Steelers couldn’t cease the run, they usually weren’t getting a lot of a go rush with out blitzing.
Up to now, they’ve been rather more experimental with each Watt and Alex Highsmith, transferring every across the subject to get some totally different seems to be. Having three corners who can play man protection permits them to blitz extra freely as properly. Final season, the Steelers had been across the center of the pack, blitzing on 25.9 % of their opponents’ dropbacks. That quantity ought to enhance this 12 months.
Ramsey gained’t stick to at least one spot, however that’s good for this protection. The Steelers need to combine issues up extra defensively, and Jalen Ramsey can be proper in the course of all of it.
