The Pittsburgh Steelers signed cornerback Jamel Dean in the offseason to strengthen their secondary. Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo called the move a significant step toward addressing a long-standing need at the position.
Fittipaldo highlighted Dean's potential impact during an appearance on The North Shore Drive podcast. He noted that the team has lacked a competent No. 2 cornerback for five or six years.
"A lot of people say, well, he’s your No. 2 corner. You’ve lacked a No. 2 corner here for basically five, six years ago, was the last time you had a competent No. 2 corner. So for that reason alone, I think he’s a really important piece to Patrick Graham’s defense," Fittipaldo said.
Previous efforts to fill the role included signings of veterans Patrick Peterson and Darius Slay, along with Donte Jackson and the Levi Wallace-Cameron Sutton tandem in 2022. Dean, 29, spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has shown ball skills, though injury history remains a concern.
The Steelers also re-signed Asante Samuel Jr. and drafted Daylen Everette to support the cornerback room. Fittipaldo views Dean as central to whether the position becomes a team strength this season.
