Can Patrick Queen Improve His Run Defense This Season?

If there was one glaring weakness in Patrick Queen’s game last season, it was his run defense.

The first three weeks made that clear, as both he and Payton Wilson struggled with gap integrity and allowed too many backs to reach the second level untouched. And while Pro Football Focus has its flaws, Queen’s 58.4 run‑defense grade felt justified when paired with the hard number: 31 missed tackles, the most of any defender in the league.

Queen’s issues weren’t about athleticism — they stemmed from slow keys and late triggers. He hesitated too often when diagnosing zone concepts or scraping over the top, giving runners time to press the line and force him into bad angles. When he’s a step late, even his elite speed can’t fully compensate. The encouraging part is that processing and eye discipline are coachable, and Queen has shown before that he can tighten his reads when the scheme emphasizes simplicity.

The second factor was the structure around him. Pittsburgh’s front didn’t consistently keep him clean in 2025, leaving him to make too many open‑field tackles instead of downhill stops. With upgrades along the interior and a shift toward more defined single‑gap responsibilities, Queen should see fewer free runners and clearer reads in 2026. His run defense doesn’t need to become a strength — it just needs to stop being a liability. That’s the realistic path forward, and it connects directly to broader Steelers run‑defense adjustments.

In essence, Queen doesn’t need to become a dominant run defender — he just needs to be more consistent. With cleaner reads and better support up front, the path to improvement is right in front of him. 2026 will show whether those corrections finally turn his athleticism into reliable production.