Derrick Harmon is the latest defensive tackle the Pittsburgh Steelers have taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. He’s following in the footsteps of giants, players like Mean Joe Greene taken in 1969 and Casey Hampton in 2001. Those linemen are part of a Super Bowl-winning legacy in Pittsburgh, a legacy of hard work and doing what’s best for the Steelers every time they stepped on the field.
The Steelers made a concerted effort to reestablish a physical identity via the 2025 NFL Draft. Picking Derrick Harmon was the first step in that. And Casey Hampton thinks that Harmon is stepping into the right place.
“He coming into the right situation,” Hampton said during the Christian Kuntz Podcast that was recorded the first night of the draft and released on Thursday. “Pittsburgh is, if you play d-tackle, d-line, coming behind and learning behind Cam [Heyward], a guy like that, man, he’s coming into a perfect, perfect situation. [Karl] Dunbar, excellent coach. The culture of the d-linemen here, and just the defense here. And he’s a player. I was talking to Dunbar earlier briefly, I had just kind of seen him. And he said he had liked that guy, liked the guy from Oregon.”
Sometimes when a team picks a player in the first round, there are monumental expectations for him to make a difference right away. The fans might expect Derrick Harmon to be an impact player in his rookie year. But the need for him to be a star right away isn’t there. As Hampton referenced, Cam Heyward is still making big-time plays for the Steelers.
Heyward had a phenomenal 2024 after an injury-plagued 2023. He posted eight sacks, 71 total tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, and 11 passes knocked down. That earned him a Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro recognition. And he did that in his 14th NFL season. He’s the ideal example and mentor for a young defensive lineman to learn from. And Heyward is excited that Pittsburgh drafted Harmon.
The Steelers emphasize quality defensive line play, and they had a down year in 2024 against the run. That equals opportunity for Harmon. The combination of the culture, opportunity, and learning from Heyward is why CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso had Harmon and the Steelers as one of the best prospect-team fits from the draft.
Derrick Harmon has the potential to wreak havoc. He already knows what it takes to be a Steelers defensive lineman, and he feels like he fits the bill. Only time will tell whether he’ll be the next great Steelers defensive lineman. But Casey Hampton thinks he couldn’t have come to a better place to make that happen.
