The Pittsburgh Steelers have built one of the best defensive units in the league. To do that, they had to find quality targets during the 2024 offseason. They found some difference makers, including DeShon Elliott , Patrick Queen, and Donte Jackson. All three have added value to the defense and seem to be growing into their roles and improving.
Elliott had a great game during the Week 6 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He is currently the Steelers' leading tackler with 45 tackles. He also has one interception, one forced fumble, and a recovery. However, his biggest contribution, according to Brian Baldinger, isn't easily measured on a stat sheet.
On his X page, Baldinger, a former NFL offensive lineman, said Elliott has significantly impacted the team. Elliott and his counterpart, free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, have just applied near-constant pressure.
"DeShon Elliott has been an excellent addition to the Steelers' defense," said Baldinger. "He's the strong safety, with Minkah at free. He just plays the game fast. He's an excellent open-field tackler. He actually leads the Steelers in tackles right now. You got Queen, you got Roberts, and you got DeShon Elliott right now. When they double T.J. with these tight ends, DeShon Elliott is free. When he's free, he's not gonna miss."
Baldinger showed how Elliott, Fitzpatrick, and Elandon Roberts, a linebacker, all picked up their men, which allowed T.J. Watt to get free. When the offense double-teams Watt, as they often do, Elliott is able to break free, which is what happened on a huge tackle on Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah.
Later, the Raiders drove down to near the goal line, close to making it a one-score game. On the next play, Elliott tackles Abdullah, stopping him short of the goal line. While Watt's punchout on the next play gets the credit, Baldinger says that wouldn't have been an option without Elliott stopping him.
"Once he sees Abdullah at the line of scrimmage, he's not saving lives, but he's saving touchdowns. They mark him inside the one, probably the one-foot-yard line. He saves that touchdown. Why's that important? Because, on the very next play, T.J. is gonna make Abdullah give up the ball, and that's thanks to DeShon Elliott. He saved the touchdown the play before, T.J. did his job, and Elliott recovered. Huge, huge change in this game. He's having an excellent season right now."
Elliott was a sixth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, but has bounced around the league as a journeyman. When the Steelers signed him, he told the media that it felt like he was home, and Pittsburgh felt like where he belonged. While Watt might get and deserve all the nominations for MVP or Defensive Player of the Year, having players like Elliott on the team, silently making an impact, helps that happen.
Steelers' DeShon Elliott Can Also Own His Mistakes
Elliott is still adjusting to this Steelers defense while playing 88% of defensive snaps. He has had some excellent games and some where he could improve. In the loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he had 12 tackles and a forced fumble. During the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Elliott did not repeat that performance. On paper, his nine tackles seem solid, but he missed two of the game's biggest plays.
Elliott was far from the only defender to make a mistake in that game, but he admitted that he blew it when the team needed him most. This included slipping on a big catch and failing to break up the game-winning touchdown catch.
