On Thursday night the Pittsburgh Steelers strengthened their defensive front by drafting Oregon DT Derrick Harmon with the 21st pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Today, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was asked his thoughts on Harmon.
“Really like him,” Austin said during his press conference on the Steelers’ YouTube page. “Like his explosiveness, like the fact that as an inside rusher he’ll give you some up-the-field push, some different things in there working probably on the same side as T.J. [Watt], which maybe should open some things up that way. I feel good about his skill set, his length, and the different things there. And [he] plays with a good motor for a big man.”
After the Steelers struggled stopping the run last season, drafting Harmon makes perfect sense. He can stop the run, as he made 45 tackles last season. He can also rush the passer, tallying five sacks. Harmon’s main objective early will be to stop the run, but the juice he can also provide in rushing the quarterback makes him a very exciting rookie.
In a pre-draft scouting report, Alex Kozora praised Harmon’s explosiveness, his ability to win multiple ways rushing the passer and his ability to get off blocks in the run game.
Nothing is set in stone, but it appears Harmon will line up next to superstar OLB T.J. Watt, which could help him in both the pass-rush game and run-stopping department. Watt demands a ton of attention, so Harmon lining up next the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year should allow him to see more one-on-one matchups.
The Steelers had a clear objective to strengthen their defensive front this offseason, and drafting Harmon helps fulfill that. The hope is that Harmon can be an effective starter this season while learning from Cameron Heyward so he can become the next great Steelers defensive lineman.
