The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed arguably their biggest need in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected DE Derrick Harmon. But just because they drafted for need doesn’t mean they missed out on value. According to SI.com’s insider Albert Breer, teams viewed Harmon as a premium pick on talent alone.
“Some teams said if he was less beat up, he’d be a top-10 talent in the draft,” Breer said via The MMQB NFL Podcast. “And you know, you’ve got Cam Heyward getting older and so now you got a natural replacement for him. This, I think, was a great draft for now and for going forward.”
A report indicated that Harmon’s MRI at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine revealed partial tears in his labrum and rotator cuff. This tracks with how long it took him to get to the podium for his media availability that day — usually an indication of problems in the medical process.
Our Dr. Melanie Friedlander will go over this report in detail during her annual entrance physical series she does for the site, but the Steelers addressed possible medical concerns during their press conference after the pick.
“We had him in on a pre-draft 30 visit, had an opportunity to get him in front of our docs,” Mike Tomlin said in via video on the Steelers’ YouTube. “We were extremely comfortable with that component.”
The Steelers’ medical staff advises the team throughout the process and would make any concerns known if they had any.
Harmon downplayed the reports of injury concerns when he first spoke to the media following his selection in the first round.
Harmon was ultimately the fourth defensive lineman off the board with Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Walter Nolen being taken ahead of him. Graham was the only one of those taken inside the top 10. Of those four, Harmon is arguably the best scheme fit for the Steelers in terms of what they look for in a 3-4 base end with the size and versatility to kick inside.
If what Breer heard from other teams is true, the Steelers got tremendous value with Harmon at No. 21 overall.
