The pick is in.
The 2025 NFL Draft is Omar Khan’s third year as the general manager, and like in past years, we want to evaluate the value of each pick. Based on projections for each player by draft outlets and our own reports, we want to see if the pick’s value is above or below how they were ranked coming into the draft.
Round 5 (Pick 164) – Yahya Black DL Iowa
The Steelers add another Iowa Hawkeye. After trading down with Kansas City to pick up a seventh-round pick, the team double-dipped on the defensive line.
Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked 150th in his Top 150, but did not have a write-up on him.
Lance Zierlein had Black as the 30th-ranked defensive tackle. In his profile at NFL.com, he gave him a 5.86 grade (Average backup or special-teamer) with a round projection from the fifth to sixth.
He opined:
“A massive nose tackle with high-end traits, Black’s run plugging can run hot and cold as he fails to anchor with flat feet sunk deep into the ground when attacked on an angle. He can separate and neutralize the block to messy the gap when his pad level is right and he’s one-on-one. Black lacks snap quickness and range, so he’s much more space-eater than playmaker. The size and traits will be coveted, but Black lacks rush and is a little inconsistent at controlling the point. He might have a ceiling as a rotational big man.”
Dane Brugler did not have Black ranked in his top 100 in his draft guide, The Beast. He was the number twenty-five defensive tackle and was given a 5th-round grade.
His profile states:
“A two-year starter at Iowa, Black played both one- and three-technique defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s four-man front. His stats won’t jump off the page, but Black was a star in the Hawkeyes’ scheme, because of his ability to command blocking attention. Doing so freed up the linebackers, specifically Jay Higgins, who had 295 combined tackles over the past two seasons.
A stout run defender, Black has outstanding size and uses his big-man balance to occupy space or hold the point. With his length and the strength in his hands, he can snatch/toss blockers, but doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher beyond a basic bull. Overall, Black looks every bit the part of a “do your job” defender who clogs run lanes and does the dirty work, although he will need to improve his disruptive skills to be a three-down player. He offers the scheme versatility to become a role player in any system.”
CBSSports.com had Black as “roster depth” on their report. They gave him a grade of 72.70.
“Yahya Black is better served in the run game at this point in his career. He does a good job of stacking blockers in the run game while following the ball-carrier. He has good lower body mass to hold up at the point of attack. Black does not have the desired first-step quickness and therefore has a limited impact on the pass rush. He can continue developing his moves to formulate more of a plan.”
Our profile on Black by Jonathan Heitritter gave him a 6.8 grade (5th Round – Backup/Special Teamer).
He analyzed his play by saying:
“Yahya Black is the quintessential space-eater teams look for on early downs, who possesses the size and bulk to take on and occasionally split double teams as a two-down plugger. He doesn’t bring much pass-rush upside to the table and needs to work on his leverage to fully play to his strengths and warrant meaningful snaps on early downs. Still, his size and length are hard to come by, and further development on his technique could help him go from a raw prospect to a solid pro.
When coming up with a pro comp for Black, John Jenkins came to mind as another bulky run plugger with similar size who has made a 12-year career anchoring the middle for NFL defenses. The Steelers could use more reinforcements along their defensive line, and they hosted Black for a pre-draft visit already, showing that they may have interest in him later in the draft.”
The Steelers had a plan to try to solidify the defensive front with some big bodies in this draft to improve depth, and this pick goes right along with that. Based on the reviews above, Black’s value was consistent as a fifth-round pick, and that is where he was selected.
Based on the ratings above, this pick has solid value.
