The Pittsburgh Steelers had some serious options on the board when it was their turn to select a player with the 21st overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. There were all but one of the quarterbacks on the board. They had UNC RB Omarion Hampton there. But the Steelers opted to address one of their biggest needs with Oregon DT Derrick Harmon.
That pick was just the first in a focused attempt to address some shortcomings on the defense. In the fourth round, the Steelers took Ohio State LB Jack Sawyer. In the fifth round, the Steelers drafted Iowa DL Yahya Black, a teammate of their third-round pick, RB Kaleb Johnson.
When Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin joined the NFL Network broadcast Saturday to talk about the draft, Rich Eisen asked him about the decision-making process at 21.
“As you guys can see, not only in that pick, but all our others, there’s a commitment here that with this draft group to reestablish physicality and big-man presence,” Tomlin said. “And Derrick Harmon fits that bill. We like his physical stature. We like his style of play. It’s just what we covet and what we need.”
The Steelers certainly needed some physical upgrades on the defensive line after how last year ended. There was the 11-minute, game-ending drive against the Philadelphia Eagles, where the defense was just ground into the dirt. The Baltimore Ravens run roughshod over the defense in the first round of the playoffs, too.
Harmon may not be a space-eating nose tackle, but he is a big man on the defensive line who can be a disruptive force. Analyst Brian Baldinger called him “a massive piece of humanity” while talking Harmon up. That’s the physicality Tomlin wants to see out of his defensive lineman.
That trend continued with the pick of Yahya Black in the fifth round. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar says that adding Black is a big step in the Steelers’ efforts to “be dominant” on the line. The team certainly wants to bolster their defensive line with youthful talent that is physical.
And even the Steelers’ third-round pick, RB Kaleb Johnson, brings a physical element to the offense. He’s got big size and the mentality to match. The Steelers’ physical brand of football is alive and well with this draft class, starting with Derrick Harmon.
