Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Vince Williams is very bullish on new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
“I love the guy. He’s a brainiac,” Williams said of Graham on SNR’s Steelers Standard. “He’s a genius, man. I used to watch his stuff when I used to break down film, when I was an assistant d-line coach [with the Steelers in 2024]. I was like, ‘Man, this guy really knows what he’s doing.'”
Graham looks forward to carrying the Steelers’ long history of having a 3-4 defense. The 3-4 has been the Steelers’ base defense for over four decades.
“Those guys have won a lot of games. … I’m not quite at that level. … I’m trying to earn my way into this tradition,” Graham said earlier this offseason on keeping the 3-4 defense of Dick LeBeau and Mike Tomlin etc.
Graham stressed that the big’s up front are the biggest key in a 3-4 defense. Veteran Cam Heyward will play in his 16th season in 2026, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black are all promising young defensive lineman. The Steelers also signed a key depth piece in Sebastian Joseph-Day this offseason.
“When you look at my time in New England, my time with the Giants, and then over the history here with Pittsburgh, you’re going to notice they have big men on the roster. That’s the most important part,” Graham said. “So when you start to talk about the 3-4, the big guys on the roster, people like Cam [Heyward], people like KB [Keeanu Benton], people like [Yahya] Black, [Derrick] Harmon, these are big human beings.
“That’s where you’ll find those guys right there. I think that Pittsburgh’s been really disciplined, and that’s a credit to Omar {Khan}, Mr. Rooney and the organization. They’ve been really disciplined in terms of that profile and that serves them well.”
Graham is a part of Bill Belichick’s coach tree, so attention to detail is something that has been ingrained in him. Graham is also a Yale graduate.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers LB Endorses Patrick Graham: ‘He’s a Genius’
