Pittsburgh Steelers heeded owner Art Rooney II’s call in January to improve their defensive line during the 2025 NFL Draft. They added two new defensive linemen, selecting Oregon DT Derrick Harmon in the first round and Iowa DT Yahya Black in the fifth round. Today, Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar was asked how Harmon will fit in along the defensive line.
“He’s gonna be a four-technique, long, lean guy who can push the pocket,” Dunbar said via video from Steelers.com. “And if we can get guys to push the pocket with Alex [Highsmith] and T.J. [Watt] it’s, it’s a great recipe for us.”
Harmon can stop the run, and he is also an effective pass rusher. In college he tallied only 8.5 sacks, but five of those came last season. He has long arms, at 34 3/4 inches, which can help him push the pocket and knock guards back into the quarterback’s lap.
Other than DT Cam Heyward, the Steelers don’t have a very effective pass rushing defensive lineman. Once Heyward retires, that becomes a big need. OLBs T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are great, but there needs to be interior pressure as well or opposing quarterbacks can simply step up in the pocket and avoid them. Harmon’s addition can provide a nice interior push this season and will help fill the void when Heyward retires.
Stopping the run became a major focus after Pittsburgh’s end-of-season collapse in 2024, but finding a defensive tackle who could also rush the passer was an underrated need. Harmon is that guy, and Pittsburgh was lucky to get him with the 21st pick.
The Steelers clearly to address their defensive line. They made sure they did that by selecting both Harmon and Black. Both players should provide run-stuffing ability and a nice interior push.
