Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line was a problem. Cam Heyward was still elite, and Keeanu Benton had a fine season, but the Steelers needed to add more youth and talent to that group. Enter Derrick Harmon. The Steelers spent their first-round pick Thursday night on Harmon, who profiles similarly to Cam Heyward. Draft expert Dane Brugler loved the Steelers’ selection.
“The natural progression from Cam Heyward to a guy like this, who is just disruptive, against the run, against the pass,” Brugler said on The Athletic Football Show’s livestream during Round 1. “You can line him up in different ways.
“We know that Steelers front can get kind of funky with what they do with their defensive linemen and ask them to do. He can do so much and be disruptive doing all these different things that you feel like you’re getting a steal at this point at 21.”
Harmon does look like an extremely talented player. He’s got a massive frame, at 6-4 and over 300 pounds. That size doesn’t compromise his athleticism, either. Harmon ran a 4.95 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s got the traits to succeed in the NFL.
In 2024, he recorded 45 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, three pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. He often found himself in the opposing team’s backfield. At only 21 years old, Harmon’s best football is likely still in front of him, too.
During that same livestream, Brugler picked Harmon as his favorite pick of the night, continuing to gush about him.
“We mentioned how a lot was made about Shedeur Sanders, would the Steelers go quarterback? They went with one of their top needs with a player that should not have made it out of the top 20 in Derrick Harmon from Oregon,” he said.
There’s a lot to like about Harmon. However, it seems like he didn’t fall to the Steelers for no reason. Leading up to the draft, reports had some teams concerned about Harmon’s medicals. Apparently, he had a shoulder injury pop up that worried teams. After the first round ended, another report surfaced that Harmon’s shoulder injury is legit.
That’s likely part of the reason why he was available at No. 21. Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin didn’t seem concerned with Harmon’s health, though. They seemed very happy to land Harmon. If they don’t think it’s a serious issue, then maybe it’s not a cause for concern.
Harmon sounds ready to get to work, too. He’ll have a chance to learn from Heyward, who has a lot to teach him. While Harmon might never reach the same heights as Heyward, he could grow into a solid NFL player. Not many people do as much work during the pre-draft process as Brugler. His excitement about Harmon’s future speaks volumes. There’s no guarantee that he’ll blossom, but his future does look bright.
