Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed a defensive lineman in 2025 free agency—DT Daniel Ekuale. Ekuale’s agent, Blake Baratz, broke the news on X.
Ekuale, measuring 6’3″ and 310 lbs, signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2018 but wouldn’t debut in the NFL until the 2019 season.
Ekuale would then join the Jaguars in 2020 and would eventually land with the New England Patriots in 2021. The big defensive tackle started 17 games in 2024, the most in a single season of his NFL career, ultimately proving himself a quality defensive lineman ahead of the 2025 free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were in desperate need of defensive line talent, as the DT Larry Ogunjobi experiment was nearing its end, and the aging Black and Gold defensive line was in need of a much-needed renovation after falling flat toward the end of the 2024 season.
Ekuale brings six seasons of NFL experience to the Steel City, along with six sacks, 91 combined tackles, and eight TFLs in 57 games, 21 of which were starts.
Although the Steelers will likely address the defensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft, as it stands now, Ekuale will likely plug in next to veteran DT Cameron Heyward and NT Keeanu Benton as a starter on the defensive line.
