On Friday, new Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham addressed the media just days ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Graham wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room and whether or not the team would be sticking with their base 3-4 defense.
According to Graham, the team will stick with the 3-4 defense but concedes it’s basically in name only in the modern NFL. Most NFL teams, including the Steelers, utilize so much nickel defense that it is really the default base for many teams. Graham also pointed out that you can call it a 4-3-5, but it can also be considered a 2-4-5. With the Steelers, this is all about whether you consider T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith outside linebackers with their hands on the ground or defensive ends in the nickel.
Interesting stuff from Patrick Graham on why he deploys a “3-4” defense, even as in the modern NFL nickel is now “base” anyway.
Says that instead of it being a “4-3-5” you can also make it “a 2-4-5” with more flexibility
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) April 17, 2026
Former Steelers head coach Chuck Noll switched the Steelers from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in 1982. It was made famous during the Bill Cowher era and with only 40 years of the same scheme marks one of the longest tenures of the same scheme in NFL history.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers DC Patrick Graham says team is sticking with the 3-4 defense