Former Raiders DC brings 3-4 scheme experience to reunite with McCarthy from their Green Bay days as Steelers rebuild defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator on Friday, bringing on the former Las Vegas Raiders DC to help Mike McCarthy establish his defensive vision in Pittsburgh. Graham, who interviewed in person late in the week, is no stranger to McCarthy the two worked together on the Green Bay Packers staff in 2018, when Graham served as the linebackers coach and run game coordinator during McCarthy’s final season in Green Bay.
That reunion is significant. McCarthy is building his Steelers staff with familiar faces, and Graham represents that philosophy. Rather than starting from scratch with unknown coordinators, McCarthy is bringing in people he’s worked with before, people who understand his systems and his approach. Graham fits that profile perfectly.
Graham spent the past four seasons as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator, a tenure that produced mixed results. The Raiders ranked 13th in yards allowed (317.8) in 2025 and 25th in points per game (25.4). That’s respectable but not elite. On the ground, Las Vegas was 18th in rushing yards per game (116.8) and 29th in completion percentage allowed (68.51%). Those numbers suggest an average defense, not a standout one.
But Graham’s recent performance doesn’t tell the complete story. In 2023, his Raiders defense ranked ninth in points allowed (19.5), a significant improvement from checking in at 26th just a year earlier. That’s the kind of dramatic upward trajectory that catches the attention of teams looking for defensive coordinators. It shows he can identify problems and fix them, even in a short timeframe.
Before Las Vegas, Graham had worked his way up through NFL coaching, learning from some of the best defensive minds in football. He spent seven seasons in New England (2009-2015) as a defensive assistant under Bill Belichick and Brian Flores. That’s the kind of pedigree that matters in defensive coaching. You don’t spend years under Belichick without absorbing valuable defensive philosophy. He then spent two seasons as the New York Giants’ defensive line coach under Steve Spagnuolo before serving as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2019. He returned to the Giants as the DC under Joe Judge from 2020 to 2021.
That’s a resume that shows someone who’s been around great defensive coaches and has held significant coordinator roles before. He’s not brand new to the position. He’s experienced. And now he’s joining the Steelers to help rebuild one of the league’s most storied defenses.
Reuniting With McCarthy’s Philosophy
McCarthy’s approach to hiring Graham makes sense when you consider his stated philosophy about building the Steelers’ defense. In his introductory news conference, McCarthy emphasized his commitment to maintaining Pittsburgh’s historic 3-4 defense scheme. “Defense wins championships,” McCarthy said. “The history of the Steelers defense and staying with the 3-4 is important, as far as the origin of it. That’s something we have to build off of.”
Graham has experience coordinating both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses, which makes him flexible. But his connection to McCarthy from their Green Bay days is what likely sealed the deal. When McCarthy was in Green Bay, he brought the 3-4 scheme to the Packers, and Graham was part of that transition. That experience working together on defensive philosophy is valuable as the Steelers attempt to rebuild while maintaining their traditional identity.
McCarthy also emphasized his philosophy about building on existing foundation rather than tearing everything down. “I don’t believe in the throw out the baby with the bathwater method,” McCarthy said. “I believe building off what’s in place. There’s a lot here in place. I mean, the defense system has been here since 1992.”
Graham’s hire reflects that philosophy. Rather than bringing in someone entirely new, McCarthy is bringing in someone who understands his approach, who’s been successful coordinating defenses, and who can work within the existing Steelers framework while also bringing fresh ideas.
The Broader Defensive Staff Assembly
Graham’s hire is part of a broader defensive staff assembly under McCarthy. The Steelers are also expected to add Washington Commanders assistant Jason Simmons to a prominent defensive role. Simmons, a former Steelers linebacker drafted by the team in 1998, interviewed for the DC job and has worked with both Graham and McCarthy in Green Bay. His addition would solidify McCarthy’s staff with even more familiar faces.
McCarthy has also expressed a desire to retain some existing Steelers staff members, particularly linebackers coach Scott McCurley and potentially secondary coach Gerald Alexander. That approach mixing new hires with retained staff is designed to maintain continuity while also bringing in fresh perspective.
On offense, the Steelers are planning to interview Saints assistant Scott Tolzien, a former McCarthy quarterback in Green Bay, for the offensive coordinator job. The team also hired offensive line coach James Campen, another McCarthy connection from their Green Bay days.
The pattern is clear: McCarthy is building a staff of people he knows and trusts, people who understand his systems, and people who can help him execute his vision for the Steelers. Graham’s hiring as defensive coordinator is the latest piece of that puzzle, and it suggests McCarthy is confident in his ability to build a championship-caliber team in Pittsburgh by combining familiar faces with the existing Steelers foundation.
