Though the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently had opportunity to make a move, they had no interest in trading down from No. 21. Not with Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon still on the board. Speaking with reporters after making Harmon the team’s newest first-round selection, head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan made clear they weren’t going to risk losing the player they hope is the eventual heir to Cameron Heyward up front.
“We talked about certain guys that we would not trade away from,” Khan said Thursday during a post-pick presser via the team’s YouTube channel. “And this is one of those players for us. The phone was ringing, and we had some serious conversations. But at the end of the day, once Derrick was still there, we were excited. It was an easy choice for us.”
The Steelers had reason to move down. They entered the draft with just six selections and only two in the top 120 after trading their second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in the deal for WR DK Metcalf.
But badly needing defensive line help and with three of the top players there off the board in Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Walter Nolen, Pittsburgh stuck to No. 21 and made Harmon the pick. An ideal 3-4 defensive lineman in the Steelers’ scheme, he’ll look to improve a run defense that badly struggled as part of the team’s five-game losing streak to end the 2024 season.
Harmon also adds youth to the Steelers’ defense. Cam Heyward had a great 2024 season but turns 36 in May and likely will only play two more seasons. In the offseason, Pittsburgh did little to make significant upgrades to its defensive line. Larry Ogunjobi was released, Isaiahh Loudermilk re-signed while Daniel Ekuale and Esezi Otomewo were added on cheap contracts. Harmon is the splash addition to fortify the Steelers’ defensive front and when they had the chance to select him, they weren’t about to move off the pick.
