Kimes: ‘Expertise Is There’ On Steelers’ Protection, However They Have A ‘Ravens Drawback’

Throughout the past few years, the Steelers’ defense has been what’s kept them competitive for the most part. With a good amount of turnover on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, they may have to do the same thing again in 2025. Luckily, ESPN’s Mina Kimes thinks their unit is capable of doing that, although she does have some questions.

“Obviously, this is still an extremely good defensive front that got better,” Kimes said on her Mina Kimes Show Featuring Lenny on Wednesday. “They drafted Derrick Harmon, who’s a pass-rushing defensive tackle who I absolutely love. I love for them. I love how he fits in this defense. They have so much depth now on the inside… I have concerns about the secondary… Beanie Bishop, who weirdly had a lot of interceptions but was sometimes iffy in coverage, Minkah Fitzpatrick, coming off a down year… But the talent is there, I think.”

It makes sense for Derrick Harmon to be the first player Kimes mentions. After all, he could very well be the most important addition to the Steelers’ defense. The front seven was strong for most of the year. But at the end of the regular season, their issues against the run were being exposed. That’s primarily due to a lack of depth, which is something Pittsburgh addressed in the draft. They picked up Harmon in round one, and he already seems to be in line to start. Aside from him, two new rookies, Jack Sawyer and Yahya Black, add some more beef to the unit.

The secondary is a little more of a concern. Like the front seven, the secondary had its own issues at the end of last season, with many lapses in communication against the pass. Joey Porter Jr. had his struggles in 2024, and Darius Slay is now 34 years old. Combine that with a drop in production from Minkah Fitzpatrick last year, and there are valid reasons to be concerned.

However, it’s certainly not a weakness on the Steelers’ defense. Porter and Slay are not a bad duo in the slightest, and will benefit from having a front seven that looks like it could be dominant. Beanie Bishop Jr. in the slot is a bright spot as well. The undrafted rookie had four interceptions last year and allowed a passer rating of just 59.5 when targeted.

Really, Kimes thinks the Steelers’ defense only had one problem, and it came against the worst possible team.

“I would argue that the Steelers’ defense basically just had a Baltimore Ravens problem,” Kimes said. “Because the last time we saw them, they were just getting absolutely demolished, run over by the Baltimore Ravens… When the Steelers played teams that were not the Baltimore Ravens, they allowed 3.8 yards per carry. The Ravens averaged 6.0 yards per carry… They gotta figure this out.”

It’s a stark difference, but it certainly comes through on tape. The Steelers’ losses to the Ravens, both late in the regular season and the playoffs, mainly came due to their inability to stop the run. And Kimes is right, it needs fixing going forward.

If the Steelers are going to compete in their division, they have to be stout defensively. There’s optimism on the offensive side of the ball, but potentially too many variables to win games on their own. Kimes thinks they are capable of doing just that, but they’ve got to be better against the Ravens in the process.