MOBILE, Alabama – There is no shortage of intriguing defensive linemen at the 2025 Senior Bowl. I came down here with a healthy list of six or seven to keep a close eye on, and that expanded once practices got underway. One of the first to catch my eye was Iowa DL Yahya Black. I was immediately struck by his impressive frame.
He measured in at 6055, 337 pounds with 35-inch arms (!!). That is rare length. Even if his pass-rush arsenal isn’t developed yet, the right coach could help him use that length as a weapon to keep offensive linemen away from his body. What’s his fastball as a pass rusher along the defensive line?
“I’ve always been a bull-to-pull guy, a power guy,” Black said Tuesday after the first day of Senior Bowl practices. “Trying to show a little more and hopefully get after it.”
He didn’t have the most productive college career, starting 27 games in five seasons with just 5.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, but he did have an impressive 11 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. He knows that he must improve his production as a pass rusher to have a shot at being an impact player in the NFL.
I asked what his biggest self-critique was.
“Pass-rush production,” Black answered without hesitation. “That’s the biggest part.”
During the one-on-one drills, Black struggled because he didn’t have moves to counter when his power was shut down. But he impressed in the team session while playing mostly on the interior of the defensive line.
With his frame, he has the versatility to play multiple different positions along the defensive line. He has the length to play 5-tech and the size to kick inside to 3-tech or even nose. I watched him anchor against a double-team block during one of the team sessions and he hardly gave an inch of ground.
He doesn’t have a preference of what position he’d like to play at the next level.
“Wherever you need me, I’ll be there,” Black said.
According to Pro Football Focus, Black played almost all of his reps at Iowa inside as a 2-, 3-, or 4i-tech defender. He’s quite a bit heavier than the Pittsburgh Steelers’ typical 5-tech, but if he could get closer to his listed weight of 315 pounds at Iowa, he might be better suited for that role. Those 35-inch arms can be more of a weapon as an end.
Black might be the perfect candidate to draft if the Steelers double up after taking a stud in the earlier rounds. He could be developed alongside his former teammate Logan Lee, who was drafted in the sixth round last year.
Black confirmed that he has spoken with members of the Steelers organization while in Mobile.
