Football and analytics are a polarizing subject for many NFL fans, especially Pittsburgh Steelers fans. However, analytics can enhance our understanding of the game. Analytics won't replace film study and football fundamentals, but every now and then, they create insights that benefit fans, coaches, and media alike. One Steelers free-agent signing already looked good at face value. As it turns out, analytics make the Jamel Dean signing look even better.
ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz highlighted Dean during his rundown on The Athletic Podcast. Schatz's DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) metric named Dean the best cornerback in football last season.
"The best coverage DVOA last year for an outside corner was Dean … people did not realize what a good season he had," Schatz said.
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The Analytics Back Up the Steelers' Tandem
Dean and Joey Porter Jr. suddenly form a duo that could become elite in Pittsburgh, and the analytics support it. Dean recorded a -69.1% DVOA for cornerback coverage according to FTN. Porter finished 10th in DVOA last year. According to PFSN, Dean and Porter allowed passer ratings of 46.9 and 56.2, respectively, when targeted. The duo thrives in press man-to-man coverage, a scheme new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham loves to deploy strategically.
Dean's 46.9 passer rating allowed was the lowest in the NFL. Porter, meanwhile, has become the Steelers' shutdown corner of the future. If anything, these numbers point to serious promise for this duo. Dean brings not only seven years of cornerback experience but also championship pedigree. He was a key contributor to the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that demolished the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
What makes this even more exciting: general manager Omar Khan landed him at a bargain.
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Steelers Got a Bargain for Jamel Dean
Dean signed a three-year, $36.75 million deal in March. Compare that to his previous four-year, $52 million extension signed in 2023, and factor in a booming cornerback market, the Steelers may have found a steal, and a big one at that. After all, some projections have Porter commanding as much as $30 million per year on his upcoming contract extension.
Dean is 29 years old but has plenty of football left in him; calling him an old cornerback is a weak argument. By the time his contract expires, he'll be 32. If the Steelers can recapture the consistency Dean showed in Tampa Bay, this signing won't just be a home run, it could end up being Khan's best move yet.
