Getty Head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are being encouraged to add a rising star on their defensive in NFL free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had five starters on defense in 2022 who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. But CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani argued that the Steelers should add another former first-rounder to their defense for 2023.
Dajani named Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne as the top free agent priority for the Steelers.
“Payne is coming off of a career year in which he recorded 64 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20 QB hits and five passes defended,” Dajani wrote. “It’s difficult to stand out on a defensive line that features Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and Chase Young, but Payne absolutely did, and made his first Pro Bowl.
“Defensive line is a need for Pittsburgh, as it will have to make decisions on free agents Larry Ogunjobi, Tyson Alualu and Chris Wormley. The Steelers could just opt to sign a rising star whose best football is ahead of him.”
Prior to his 11.5-sack campaign in 2022, Payne had 14.5 sacks in the first four years of his career. Washington chose Payne at No. 13 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
How Payne Potentially Fits on Steelers Defensive Line
Cornerback, inside linebacker, offensive tackle and even wide receiver have all arguably received more attention early this offseason as needs for the Steelers. But Dajani correctly identified defensive line as a major need in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have seven defensive linemen signed for next season, but only two of them have more than two years of experience on an active NFL roster. One of those two experienced starters is Cameron Heyward, who is a perennial Pro Bowler, but he will also be 34 in May.
Pittsburgh is long overdue for an influx of young talent along its defensive line. Although a veteran, Payne would provide that.
He will be entering his sixth season in the league, but Payne will turn just 26 in May. The Steelers could sign him to a five-year deal, which Spotrac projected as his market value, and the deal would expire before Payne turned 32.
Can Steelers Afford Payne?
The Steelers are expected to make some cuts on their roster to clear some salary cap space. As of February 3, they have about $2 million left in cap space.
But because he’s still relatively young and coming off a breakout season, Payne won’t come cheaply. Spotrac projected his next contract to have an average annual salary of $19.4 million (with a five-year deal).
The Steelers would need to clear quite a bit of salary cap space and be content with mostly addressing their other needs in the draft in order to afford Payne.
Instead, the Steelers could elect to bring back one of their own defensive line free agents. The reason their roster is thin at defensive line right now is because Larry Ogunjobi, Chris Wormley and Tyson Alualu are all free agents.
Ogunjobi started 16 games for the Steelers in 2022 and is the most interesting candidate of the three for the team to consider re-signing. Ogunjobi posted 1.5 sacks with 48 combined tackles, including 7 tackles for loss, and 11 quarterback hits last season.
Spotrac projected his market value to be $6.9 million on a two-year contract, giving him an average annual salary of a little more than $3.4 million.
Re-signing Ogunjobi instead of Payne would give the Steelers more flexibility to make other moves in free agency. But without a doubt, adding Payne to their defensive line is the dream scenario for Mike Tomlin’s defense.