Which Steelers’ Player Impressed Patrick Graham?

There’s something about the way a new voice carries inside a meeting room, especially between coach and player.

For newly appointed Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, that recognition didn’t take long to land on Brandon Echols.

Before the schemes get installed or they put on pads. Prior to anyone outside the building forms an opinion, Graham already has one.

“Brandon’s (Echols) impressive,” Graham said with a smile. “I mean, I messed with Brandon already. I don’t even know if I’ve expressed that to him, but in the meeting room, I lock eyes with him a lot of times. Him and Deshon (Elliott).”

That’s not coach-speak.

Echols isn’t a household name, but his path explains why Graham is paying attention. In today’s pass-happy NFL, confidence in the secondary is paramount.

A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Kentucky, Echols carved his way into the league the hard way through special teams, sub-packages, and proving he belonged with every snap he was given.

Now entering his second season in Pittsburgh, Echols has already made an impression during early meetings as the team prepares for offseason workouts. Graham understands that roster construction and success come down to flexibility.

“When you talk about 34 defenses, you talk about how the roster is put together,” said the Yale graduate, Graham. “It gives you a lot of flexibility when, when you’re bringing players in that fit that hole. It helps you with special teams. It’s going to help you in the passing situations.”

Pittsburgh is synonymous with the 3-4 defense. From Dick LeBeau to Mike Tomlin, the framework of the Steel Curtain has carried through generations.

Graham respects that history but he isn’t trying to live off it.

“The more outside linebackers you have, it helps you on the flexibility of the scheme. And so, you guys all know this, we play more nickel. There’s more five DBs out there, than four DBs once you start going into 3-4 roster, you can start to think of the 4-2-5 nickel defense, more as 2-4-5. It gives you flexibility.”

Even with that tradition in place, Graham knows today’s NFL demands evolution.

“I told the players when I first got them, we’re trying to earn our position in that tradition,” said Graham.

A player like Echols fits that mindset.

He’s the type of player coaches trust before fans fully notice the kind that earns reps, not headlines. And those players tend to stick.

“I mean, I’m… I meant not to single anybody out,” Graham continued, pausing before leaning into it. “But I would say… I’m really impressed with him (Echols) and how he goes about his business. I like his energy in the meeting room.”

Energy in the meeting room. It’s engagement in eye contact, communication, football IQ. The traits that build trust between coach and player before a single snap is played.

“It’s been fun talking football with him,” Graham added. “Asking him questions in front of the group… it’s been really cool.”

This is what early offseason access reveals and could lead to an expanded role for Echols due to the early connection in confidence with Graham. 

Graham arrives in Pittsburgh with a fresh perspective and a clear respect for what’s been built.  Defensive backs who can rotate, tackle, cover, communicate and most importantly think.

The subtle nod that says, “Yeah, this guy gets it.”

And in a new defensive regime searching for rhythm, sometimes the smoothest flow starts with the players no one is talking about yet.

It’s the ground floor of something new in Pittsburgh.

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