The best pass defenders from 2024 the Steelers are set to face in 2025

After taking a look over several days at some of the best offensive players at their positions in 2024 who the Steelers are scheduled to face in 2025, yesterday we switched sides of the ball to look at a couple areas of the defense. Before moving on, here are all the groups who have been covered so far:

Rushers
Receivers
Quarterbacks
Tight Ends
Pass Rushers

Today it’s time to check out players who defend passes. For this one, I’m looking at two different stats for players who had the most interceptions and/or passes defensed in 2024. As I said before, there could be injuries, trades, benchings, or holdouts which could make these players not able to see the field when they face the Black and Gold. But for now, these things can’t be known for sure. This list consists of players who had at least 5 interceptions or 15 passes defensed in 2024, their overall rank in either category last season, and the week in which they will face the Steelers.

Kerby Joseph (1st INT)
Detroit Lions
Week 16

In three NFL seasons, Lion’s safety Kerby Joseph has tallied 17 interceptions with an NFL-leading nine in 2024 with one being returned for a touchdown. Although not making the list in both categories, Joseph did have 12 passes defensed in 2024 as well. This will be Joseph‘s first matchup against the Steelers when they travel to Detroit in December.

Xavier McKinney (2nd INT)
Green Bay Packers
Week 8

After pulling in nine interceptions in four seasons with the New York Giants, Xavier McKinney had eight interceptions in his first season in Green Bay. McKinney also added 11 passes defensed, the same number he had the previous year in New York. Starting off his rookie season of 2020 on injured reserve, McKinney was not on the Giants roster in Week 1 of 2020 when they faced the Steelers. For this reason, this will be McKinney‘s first match up against Pittsburgh.

Marlon Humphrey (t-3rd INT; 9th PD)
Baltimore Ravens
Week 14, Week 18

The only player to make both lists, Marlon Humphrey is no stranger to the Steelers. In 15 career games against Pittsburgh, Humphrey has two interceptions, with both of them coming during the 2024 regular season with one in each matchup. In the Week 16 game against Pittsburgh last year, Humphrey returned the interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Also having 15 passes defensed in 2024, the first time he reached double digits in the last three seasons, Humphrey has only had four passes defensed against the Steelers in his 15 games.

Byron Murphy (t-3rd INT)
Minnesota Vikings
Week 4

With six NFL seasons under his belt, Byron Murphy had six of his 14 career interceptions coming in 2024. Just missing the list for passes defensed with 14, Murphy is coming off his best NFL season and his second in Minnesota after spending his previous four in Arizona. It was during Murphy’s rookie season in 2019 where he had his only game against the Steelers where he did not have an interception or pass defensed but did have four tackles in a 23–17 Steelers victory.

Donte Jackson (t-6th INT)
Los Angeles Chargers
Week 10

That’s right, Dante Jackson’s five interceptions with the Steelers last year lands him on the list as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. Jackson’s five interceptions with the Steelers was his career high, but was still not enough to get the job done for him to earn another contract. Jackson did face the Steelers as a member of the Carolina Panthers in 2018, but that is inconsequential compared to the familiarity they have from him being on their 2024 roster.

Denzel Ward (1st PD)
Cleveland Browns
Week 6, Week 17

The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Denzel Ward led the NFL in passes defensed in 2024 with 19. It all seven years in Cleveland, Ward has had double digit passes defense and at least two interceptions (yet no more than three) every season. In 12 games against the Steelers, Ward started off in a big way in his first NFL game where he had two interceptions in a 21–21 tie against the Steelers. But Ward has not had any interceptions against the Steelers since and, despite having 12 career passes defensed against the Steelers, he had none in either game in 2024.

Brian Branch (t-5th PD)
Detroit Lions
Week 16

With only two NFL seasons so far, Brian Branch had 16 passes defense in 2024 after having 13 and his rookie season. Additionally, Branch has seven career interceptions in only two seasons. Much like teammate Kerby Joseph, this will be Branch’s first game against the Steelers this season.

Cam Taylor-Britt (t-5th PD)
Cincinnati Bengals
Week 7, Week 11

Coming in with 16 passes defensed in 2024, Cam Taylor-Britt increased his number from the previous season where he had 11 passes defense in 12 games. Taylor-Britt also has seven regular season interceptions in his career, plus another one in the playoffs. Two of his passes defense from 2024 came against the Steelers, with one being an interception he returned 51 yards for a touchdown in the Steelers 44–38 victory. In all, Taylor-Britt has only faced the Steelers three times as he only appeared in one game in 2022 at no games against the Steelers in 2023.