Derrick Harmon logged his first Pittsburgh Steelers practices earlier this month during the team’s three-day rookie minicamp. But until the pads come on in August, he won’t get to truly show what made him Pittsburgh’s first-round pick. A powerful defensive lineman coming off a breakout season, Harmon described his playing style during a recent interview with veteran DL Cam Heyward.
“I feel like I’m a player who has got some grit to him,” Harmon told Heyward and host Hayden Walsh on their Not Just Football podcast. “That’s powerful. Can use his power to finesse things, also. A very gritty player.”
Harmon has battled in the trenches since high school. A Detroit native, he played offensive and defensive line in high school. During the interview, Harmon said some schools recruited him to play along the offensive line. But he stayed local when Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker offered him a scholarship, keeping him close to be home with his mother, Tiffany Saine.
After several non-descript years with the Spartans, Harmon transferred to Oregon for 2024. It proved to be the correct decision. He broke out with his best season, setting career highs with 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. On tape, he plays like a “gritty” defensive end, the type of player Pittsburgh prefers drafting up front. His game has drawn comparisons to Heyward and Harmon said he’s watched Heyward’s tape as a run defender.
Still, Harmon admitted there’s one big area of his game he needs to work on – playing too reckless.
“Sometimes it can get me into trouble, some of my coaches might say. Might cost the team in the early downs,” he said. “But it comes from me playing aggressive. That’s all I really learned how to do was how to play aggressive and really hard-nosed football.”
Penalties were an issue throughout Harmon’s college career. Per Pro Football Focus, he was flagged 11 times over his final three seasons, including five times in 2024 with the Ducks. One was a critical unnecessary roughness penalty against Illinois that allowed the Illini to go on a 95-yard touchdown drive.
Oregon cruised to a 38-9 win, but Harmon knew he had made a mistake.
Mike Tomlin’s slogan has always been wanting to say “whoa” than “sic ’em,” meaning he’ll draft the player to be corralled as opposed to the harder mission of lighting a fire under a player. Still, Harmon will have to play smart at the NFL level. There aren’t blowouts at the rate of college games, making every penalty a potential turning point.
Between the whistles, Harmon offered up two more areas where he can improve.
“I gotta learn how to start winning on my first move. Because on my tape I win my second move a lot, on my transitional rushes,” he said. “And my run [defense] is really playing with my extension consistently and shedding off them blocks consistently.”
Harmon’s bull rush doesn’t quite match his natural strength and can improve. Being able to win with a secondary move is important but it takes more time to pull off and in the NFL, quarterbacks will get rid of the ball quicker than in college. Harmon’s blessed with long 34 3/8-inch arms. The more he uses them to create space against offensive linemen, the more effective he will be stopping the run.
Perspective is key. Harmon doesn’t turn 22 until August and his best football is ahead of him. While it might sound like he has a lot to work on, his ability to self-scout and critically evaluate himself is important and a trait not every 21-year-old has.
