Player: CB Brandin Echols
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Amid defensive backfield injuries, Brandin Echols has stepped up. This past game, he made the sort of impact plays we’ve seen from Jalen Ramsey. Not only did he have a critical, game-changing interception, he made the game-sealing play. Even as the secondary returns to health, he could still play a significant role.
It might not be much of a stretch to call CB Brandin Echols one of the Steelers’ best defenders right now. The bar is lower than normal, which certainly helps. But despite being down on the depth chart, he has been making plays. With Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott out, he has stepped up, particularly last Sunday.
Echols made two of the most critical plays of the game, including the final competitive play. With the Patriots facing a 4th and 1, he tackled DeMario Douglas short of the line to gain. After two successful kneel-downs by Aaron Rodgers, it was another game in the Steelers’ favor.
Prior to his game-clinching tackle, Brandin Echols kept the Patriots off the scoreboard. To culminate a 17-play, 7-minute, 92-yard drive, he picked off a pass in the end zone. DL Cam Heyward got a piece of it at the line of scrimmage, and Echols seized the opportunity to make the grab.
Echols has played 95 defensive snaps so far, along with 23 on special teams. He has eight tackles, including one for loss, along with his red-zone interception. Of his eight tackles, he recorded six last Sunday.
Of course, with Porter and Elliott likely returning within the next game or two, Brandin Echols will see a reduced role. But given the instability at inside linebacker and his own performance, he could retain a meaningful role. If the Steelers want to play more dime defense, he has shown that they can with him.
With regular season on the way and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing. What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
