There was a lot of speculation ahead of the draft that the Pittsburgh Steelers could select a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, the team chose to address their need along the defensive line, taking Oregon DL Derrick Harmon. Defensive line was long considered the most likely position for the Steelers to select in the first round, and in the end, they made their feelings clear on what they valued more.
The Steelers are still pursuing Aaron Rodgers, but the team doesn’t have a long-term solution at quarterback. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders was on the board for the Steelers at No. 21, and while there was reportedly at least some internal debate about him being the pick, the Steelers opted to pass on the position and address the trenches.
That’s been a common theme for Pittsburgh under Omar Khan, with five of their six picks in the first two rounds coming on the offensive or defensive line. This offseason was especially important for Pittsburgh to address their defensive line – Cameron Heyward will be 36 next year, the team released Larry Ogunjobi, and despite a strong free agent class, the team only added depth pieces in Daniel Ekuale and Esezi Otomewo.
Harmon is a player who has a lot of traits that fit the Steelers well, and throughout the pre-draft process, he looked like a natural fit for Pittsburgh. But with it becoming increasingly likely Sanders would fall in the draft, the Steelers hosted him for a pre-draft visit and seemed to really consider the idea of taking a potential long-term starter at the position.
But Sanders, who fell out of the first round, isn’t without his flaws, and the Steelers clearly didn’t feel his upside was high enough to take him at No. 21. The same can be said for Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, who went off the board at No. 25 and who came in for a pre-draft visit with the Steelers.
There’s no way that the team would’ve passed on Sanders or Dart if they thought either could be a difference-maker at the position. While some like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. may disagree with it, the team showed that improving their defensive line in the short and potentially long-term was more important than taking a dart throw (no pun intended) on a quarterback.
We won’t know for a long time whether or not the Steelers made the right decision. But it’s rare that a player with the tools that Harmon has who is such an ideal fit for Pittsburgh’s scheme is available for them in the first round, and after allowing 299 yards to the Ravens in the Wild Card Round, the Steelers made a clear effort to add a defensive lineman who can eventually be a replacement for Heyward.
They likely won’t completely bypass quarterback in the draft, although the chances of them hitting on someone who can be an impactful starter are slim with their next selection coming at No. 83 overall. They didn’t feel they would find that player at No. 21 either, though, and they instead improved their biggest need.
It’s a decision that will be no doubt continue to be debated, and at some point, the Steelers will need to figure out quarterback. But they should feel good about their selection of Harmon and a little more comfortable with the state of their defensive line, which looked shaky at best heading into Thursday.
