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Let the hype train roll for the Pittsburgh Steelers after their blockbuster trade. And the team may not be done tinkering just yet. But as things stand now, here are bold predictions for the Steelers' 2025 season after the trade that brought in Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith.
The Steelers gave up Minkah Fitzpatrick, a veteran safety with a good track record, in the deal. But it appears the overall value will give the team an uptick for the 2025 season.
But how will it translate in terms of success on the field?
Steelers will become a top 10 defense
The Steelers currently stand on the fringes in the top half of the league, according to Pro Football Network. Before the blockbuster trade, the Steelers sat in the No. 12 spot.
“Pittsburgh forced a league-high 33 turnovers in 2024 and finished exactly where you’d assume (12th place is their three-year average),” Kyle Soppe wrote. “Nothing about this unit jumps off the page, and it doesn’t have to; stability is a strength. If only the offense followed a similar line of thought.”
However, the addition of Ramsey gives more bang for their turnover bucks. Consider that departed free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick added next to nothing in this category over the last two seasons. Combined, he had one interception, one fumble forced, and zero fumble recoveries.
Meanwhile, Ramsey had five picks over the last two seasons. And that came in 27 games. If you consider his average, it ups the total to six thefts for the period.
With Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. anchored as starters on the outside, Ramsey becomes a sweet-sounding nickel back. Porter will continue to shadow the opponents’ No. 1 WR while Slay gives the secondary a major upgrade over last year. He also, along with Ramsey, gives the Steelers more opportunities to play man or zone match. They used more Cover 3 last year.
Juan Thornhill slots in as the starter at free safety while DeShon Elliott is the man at strong safety. Elliott turned into a big find for the Steelers last season. His instincts and ability to stuff the run earned him a better contract. He also has flexibility, giving the Steelers more chances to confuse offenses.
And Thornhill brings a sneaky value to the secondary.
Overall, this unit looks nice. And now they can package it with the NFL’s best defensive line, according to Pro Football Focus.
“Led by edge defender T.J. Watt and interior defender Cameron Heyward, the Steelers' defensive line continues to be the best in the NFL,” PFF wrote. “Two Pittsburgh players were among the 30 highest-graded interior defenders, and three ranked in the top 20 among edge defenders last season.
“Heyward’s 90.1 PFF overall grade ranked second at his position, while Watt’s 91.7 mark was the third highest among edge defenders. The Steelers even selected interior defender Derrick Harmon with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, further bolstering an elite unit.”
Steelers offense will be very efficient
The caveat here is staying healthy. The Steelers have given Aaron Rodgers just enough weapons to be successful week in and week out.
That’s true with the addition of Jonnu Smith. Combined with D.K. Metcalf on the outside, the tight end combo of Smith and Pat Freiermuth will give Rodgers a middle of the field luxury he hasn’t had during his long career.
And maybe Rodgers can ride off into the sunset as Peyton Manning suggested on the Pat McAfee Show via Athlon Sports.
“I'm excited for Aaron,” Manning said. “It's a good opportunity. There's no substitute for experience, and what Aaron can do to help these receivers is significant. I think the whole team needs to do their part as well. The defense needs to be the Pittsburgh Steelers—you're probably not expecting him to go out and score 40 points every week.
“I'm looking forward to seeing it. Hopefully, this is a good chapter for him, and he can finish strong if it is his last year. Hopefully, Aaron takes that energy and goes out and plays really well this season.”
There are question marks about what the ground games can produce with Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson leading the way. But the sets with two tight ends will be helpful. It will give the Steelers a pass threat while also providing for the run game if defenses get too soft.
