Injury history and medical reports are the true wrenches that can be thrown into the 2025 NFL Draft. Watching a player’s tape is accessible. Even finding college football All-22 isn’t that hard these days. But understanding a player’s injury and medical history are largely internal reports not well-understood by the public. One analyst hears medical flags could cause Oregon DL Derrick Harmon to fall on draft day.
“I’m getting some medical information about [Texas DL Alfred Collins] that might not be great,” analyst Bryan Broaddus said in a recent interview with Cowboy’s’ reporter Jeff Cavanaugh. “That might cause a couple guys to slide. Maybe him. Maybe Harmon from Oregon. Maybe a couple sliders there.”
Broaddaus declined to detail specific injury concerns with either player. Collins’ injury situation is more transparent than Harmon’s. He was spotted wearing a boot during his Longhorns’ Pro Day, though the injury severity is unknown. A big defensive lineman at 332 pounds, Collins has limited pass rush juice but plays the run hard and effectively. Injuries didn’t hold him back at Texas, appearing in a remarkable 63 games, missing only one due to minor injury.
Derrick Harmon’s injury background is lesser-known. He played in 12 games during his final two years at Michigan State and 14 in his lone season with Oregon. Dane Brugler’s draft guide, thoroughly detailing player’s injury history, makes no mention of ailments and notes his durability as a positive. Our scouting report and independent research also found little injury history or concern, though he’s struggled with weight during his college career. Harmon once got up to 350 pounds before slimming down. At the Combine, he weighed in at 313 pounds before reporting in at 322 for his Ducks’ Pro Day.
“If you see Collins, Texas defensive tackle and Harmon, defensive tackle Oregon start to slide a little bit. You’ll know why,” Broaddaus said.
Still, the medical concerns could be long-term. Concerns over, say, the long-term health of a knee could cause a player to fall. It reportedly was an issue with Georgia TE Darnell Washington, slipping to the third round of the 2023 draft.
Under GM Omar Khan, the Steelers haven’t shown obvious concern in avoiding players with potential medical red flags. Pittsburgh stopped Washington’s fall in 2023. The team had no issue with OT Troy Fautanu’s reported medical concerns over his knee. Like Harmon, Fautanu missed little-to-no time during his Washington career. And Pittsburgh took the chance on Purdue DB Cory Trice Jr. in the seventh round in 2023 despite his laundry list of injuries that have unfortunately followed him to the NFL. NC State LB Payton Wilson also fell due to overt concerns that reportedly had him off many team’s boards. Not Pittsburgh’s.
All draft information should be taken with grains of salt, including this report on Derrick Harmon. But it’s information to stash away and worth revisiting if Pittsburgh – and the rest of the NFL – passes Harmon on by throughout the first round.
