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Patrick Graham Shares What Excites Him Most About Steelers Defense
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- Patrick Graham Shares What Excites Him Most About Steelers Defense
Patrick Graham at NY Football Giants Training Camp in 2016. -- Tom Hanny
During a one-on-one interview with Missi Matthews of Steelers.com , new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham explained what excites him most about the defensive unit.
"The size, the mass of the human beings that we have fined up out there," Graham told Matthews. "This is what you envision in terms of your defense to look like, in terms length, size, mass.
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"They're just big men. Every time I've met one of them, most of them are all bigger than me, and I'm not a small guy, but they dwarfed me. And I'm like, yes, this is exactly what I want it to look like."
The Steelers have several big bodies on the defensive line in Cam Heyward , Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black . All three are at least 6-foot-4 and around 300 pounds.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward in a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 4, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Graham looks forward to adding to the Steelers' tradition of having dominant defenses.
"As a defensive coach, to be able to come here, to try to earn our place in that tradition, it's really near and dear to my heart, and I don't take it lightly," Graham said. "I'm very fortunate to be in that situation."
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Graham also explained why he wants to keep a 3-4 defense.
"It's so much easier for myself and the coaching staff because we're lesser in numbers. We can learn the language as opposed to having all 45 of these guys learn the new language as we go," he said. "Wherever we can keep it consistent, because again, it's been successful here, what Coach Tomlin built, what the coaches before him built, all those guys who've been here, it's been successful. Whatever we can use that's the same, we'll go ahead and use the same. It's easier for us as coaches to learn something new.
"As it always comes down to when you have a choice, it comes down to the players. There's so many good and productive football players on that side of the ball here. As I'm going through the process right now of trying to meet those man, I'm really, really excited. This is what you envision, in terms of your defense, for it to look like. … This is exactly what I want it to look like."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Patrick Graham Shares What Excites Him Most About Steelers Defense
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