The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Oregon DT Derrick Harmon with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which means it is time for analysts to hand out draft grades. These are knee-jerk reactions based on months of scouting work leading up to the draft. But until any of these prospects get on the field, the grades themselves are just projections.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco kicked things off and handed out a ‘B-‘ grade for Harmon.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t take a quarterback. They do what they normally do. They draft big people,” Prisco said via CBS Sports on YouTube. “This is who they are, they replenish their offensive and defensive lines. Age has crept in on the defensive side of the ball in terms of their line, and they needed to get a young player. Harmon’s a good player.”
While quarterback is just as big of a need, the value simply wasn’t there. Jaxson Dart was the next quarterback off the board at No. 25 and Shedeur Sanders still hasn’t been drafted with Day 1 in the rearview mirror.
Had they passed on Harmon at No. 21, the options would have been much worse at No. 83 in the third round. Many draft analysts had Harmon rated above where he ended up getting drafted. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had him No. 16 overall and the second-best defensive tackle in the draft.
He presents value and he fills a big need. So why the lukewarm grade from Prisco? He mostly pointed to the injury concerns, which seem to already be disproven. Harmon seemed to have no clue where those reports came from. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan said they are extremely comfortable with his medicals.
Pro Football Focus doesn’t give out letter grades, but rather a scale from below average to elite. They gave the Steelers a “good” grade for Harmon.
“Instead of snagging a quarterback in Round 1, the Steelers opt to build perhaps the scariest defensive front in the NFL. Harmon profiles as an excellent successor to Cameron Heyward,” PFF wrote. “He can contribute right out of the gate after earning a 91.2 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets in 2024.”
The Steelers were routinely atop PFF’s defensive front rankings last year and Harmon should be an upgrade over Larry Ogunjobi, who struggled the last couple seasons in Pittsburgh.
Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald was the most favorable so far with a solid ‘A’ grade.
“Classic Steelers pick. Harmon isn’t flashy, but he’s a steady defensive player who can impact the pass and run from a variety of fronts,” McDonald wrote.
It seems like the majority of the opinions are positive so far, but there will be some who criticize them exiting the first round without taking a swing at the quarterback position. Shockingly (to me) Shedeur Sanders is still on the board. But the Steelers have a long wait to pick No. 83 Friday night with no second-round pick.
