Jamel Dean is a veteran cornerback who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after seven seasons in Tampa Bay; he played his college football at Auburn.
Jamel Dean spent seven seasons with the Buccaneers as a long, physical outside cornerback before joining Pittsburgh in 2026. A third-round pick out of Auburn in 2019, he was the last remaining cornerback from Tampa Bay's Super Bowl LV roster. He agreed to a three-year deal with the Steelers in March 2026.
Path to the league
Dean played at Auburn before Tampa Bay selected him 94th overall in the 2019 draft. He grew into a starting role and helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV. Over seven years in Tampa Bay he appeared in 96 games with 77 starts, recording 352 tackles, 11 interceptions and 61 passes defensed.
Career highlights
Dean built a reputation as a sticky cover corner with elite length and recovery speed. The Steelers signed him in March 2026 to a three-year deal reported at $36.75 million, praised by analysts as a value addition to Pittsburgh's secondary.
2025 season
In his final season with Tampa Bay in 2025, Dean posted a career-best three interceptions along with two forced fumbles, a sack and nine passes defensed. He allowed the fewest yards per target (4.7) and the lowest passer rating when targeted (41.3) among cornerbacks that season.
Sources
- Steelers.com: Steelers sign Jamel Dean
- ESPN: Jamel Dean player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
14 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | buccaneers | 14 | 46 | 38 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 2024 | buccaneers | 12 | 59 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2023 | buccaneers | 13 | 61 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2022 | buccaneers | 15 | 57 | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2021 | buccaneers | 15 | 53 | 44 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2020 | buccaneers | 14 | 62 | 51 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019 | buccaneers | 13 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Auburn
- Hometown
- Cocoa, FL, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
