Player: DL Yahya Black
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The selection of Yahya Black in the fifth round gave the Steelers two defensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft. While there is intrigue about what the new faces can bring, Black must earn a roster spot first. They have numbers in that room, and he will have to fight for reps in training camp. One imagines, though, that they wouldn’t have drafted him without expecting him to have a good chance.
Since promoting Omar Khan to general manager, the Steelers have yet to release a draft pick due to performance. In fact, they only just recently parted with their first draft pick since 2023, Ryan Watts, due to injury. That’s good news for Yahya Black, aiming to be just the third fifth-round pick or later to make the roster. To make the roster outright, that is, rather than on the Reserve/Injured List. They kept two sixth-round picks last season on the Reserve/Injured List all season, one being Watts.
But the Steelers are motivated to turn over their defensive line room, having already released two from last season. From the last three seasons, in fact, with Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams. Then again, they did re-sign Isaiahh Loudermilk. But he will be competing with Yahya Black and others for a spot on the 53-man roster later this offseason.
Although the Steelers talked about Black playing four-technique, my suspicion is that he will play more inside. The release of Adams would seem to imply that, though it’s by no means a guaranteed indication. He profiles there better than any other lineman they have drafted in years, though, including Keeanu Benton. If Black had Benton’s talent, he would have gone much higher, of course.
But he is in Pittsburgh for a reason, and that’s primarily to stop the run. The Steelers know that they need to do that better, and that includes incorporating bigger, space-eating bodies. Black can do that, or at least he did in college. Now he has to prove that he can do that at the NFL level. Relative to the rest of the Steelers’ roster, the bar is pretty low, but nevertheless…
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
