Pittsburgh Steelers: Defensive line heading for huge season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have assembled a very-talented defensive front and it’s a unit that’s ready to make a big impact this fall.

Could it be as easy as 1-2-3? Not really. But it’s interesting to note that the current three-man front of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive front consists of 2011 first-round pick Cameron Heyward, former second-rounder Stephon Tuitt (2014) and last year’s third-round selection Javon Hargrave.

What wasn’t easy in 2016 was getting this trio on the field together. For the first time in six NFL seasons, Heyward missed games. Nine of them, in fact. Tuitt played and started in 14 contests. And Hargrave was in the opening lineup 13 times in his 15 appearances.

Last Friday night, all three started in the preseason opener against the New York Giants. Heyward had one tackle and knocked down a pass. Hargrave finished with three stops, including one for loss. Tuitt had one of the nine hits on Big Blue quarterbacks in the game.

The former Notre Dame standout also has some lofty goals this season. Tuitt was straight-forward to Jacob Klinger about his goals, via PennLive.com:

"“I want double digit sacks and I know I could get it,” he said. “It’s easy for me to do it, but I also want to be able to say we have an undefeated season for me.”"

A year ago, Mike Tomlin’s club finished with 38 sacks. Well over half of those quarterback traps (25) came in the team’s final seven regular-season outings. And that was without Heyward on the field. Imagine the Steelers’ defensive line intact and complemented by outside linebackers such as James Harrison, Bud Dupree, Arthur Moats and rookie T.J. Watt.

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You can’t make predictions when it comes to health. But the Pittsburgh Steelers have the makings of a much-improved defense. Something that would help is getting consistent cornerback play. However, an even bigger factor is having Heyward, Tuitt and Hargrave consistently on the field.