The Pittsburgh Steelers added several players after the 2021 NFL Draft who would go on to play prominent roles for them, nearly all on defense. Of course, they ended up replacing David DeCastro at right guard with Trai Turner. Just before training camp, they signed veteran outside linebacker Melvin Ingram—whom they would later trade.
They added inside linebacker Joe Schobert during the preseason, then traded for cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon just before the regular season began. Then they added an actual in-season pickup in defensive tackle Montravius Adams, whom they signed off of the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad.