The Pittsburgh Steelers have mostly been projected to spend their first-round pick on a wide receiver, as they have a desperate need at that position. The original plan was to draft a high-end quarterback, but there will likely be no promising ones available in Pittsburgh's range. Either way, this will be a very difficult offseason to maneuver through, and having a brand new head coach may change everything up. Defensively, however, everything may end up being the same in terms of schematics.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson makes an insane interception against the Ravens.
The Steelers could also address the defense in the draft. Insider Mike DeFabo of The Athletic made his initial first-round draft board for Pittsburgh recently. He identified one of the players as a culture fit for this aggressive defense.
"Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson: Meanwhile, Terrell (ranked 18th overall) fits the Steelers’ turnover culture," DeFabo said. "The 5-11, 180-pound DB forced eight fumbles over the last two years and, in the words of Brugler, plays with a 'Honey Badger' aura."
Even with a brand new staff, Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has made himself known as a guy that can adapt to the strength of his defense. One of their big strengths is their ability to create turnovers, so drafting Avieon Terrell in the first round does make sense on that front. They could boost a position of need, especially if they don't re-sign any of their free agent cornerbacks prior to the draft.
Kevin Terrell / Associated Press
Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham stands on the sideline with his headset on as the team competes in a professional football game.
Ironically, Terrell was not an interception magnet. He only had three of them during his college career, but his ability to force fumbles is where he shined. He had five in 2025 and three of them in 2024. He also had a fumble recovery for the Clemson Tigers in this past season. For a cornerback to be all over the place making plays like he is, there is definitely something special about his abilities in the secondary.
In 2025, Terrell also had 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, showing his ability to come from his normal position to make a big play. With how well he can cover, defend the run, blitz, and punch the ball out, he could be the versatile all-around player that would make opposing offensive coordinators lie awake at night trying to figure out how to keep him from completely ruining his gameplan.
Terrell would be the perfect complement to Joey Porter Jr. as well, as the fourth-year cornerback is the opposite of a playmaker. His game is about plastering the opposing receiver at the line of scrimmage and making sure the quarterback has no window to throw the ball in. It has worked amazingly thus far, as he has yet to give up a single touchdown since his rookie season, and he even cut down on his penalties in 2025.
CBS Sports
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. fights through to stop Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely from scoring.
With Porter taking away an opponent's top option, Terrell would get plenty of chances to be a playmaker, whether that's building on his nine passes defended in 2025 and 25 overall in his college career, or punching the ball out of the receivers' hands. His versatility also allows Graham to play around with the schematics a bit and make some more creative play-calls to confuse opposing quarterbacks.
Steelers Still Need To Make Adjustments
Even though the Steelers were one of the best teams in takeaways in 2025, the defense as a whole struggled in yardage. When they weren't racking up turnovers, they were giving up endless yards, and sometimes endless points. If Pittsburgh can manage to keep racking up turnovers while also locking down their opponents and not giving up chunk plays all the time, they could truly be a historical unit.
What do you think about the Steelers drafting Terrell to fit the culture of creating turnovers? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB. I will respond and follow back.
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