The Steelers talked about Yahya Black playing defensive end after drafting him, a mild surprise that is becoming less so. As evidenced by his work on the practice field in training camp, he has the drive to execute that assignment. It’s something HC Mike Tomlin noticed and talked about over the weekend on Movin’ the Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“Yahya Black, I’ve been really impressed by his ability to chase the ball on screens and stuff being 336 pounds”, he told Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller. “Just his mindset regarding hustling is encouraging for a man that big. Part of it is the grocery shopping, but now it’s time to cook”.
His comments reflected a larger conversation about the physicality of smaller players and athleticism of bigger ones. This offseason, the Steelers have sought to add big cornerbacks and mobile linemen. Yahya Black didn’t seem, on paper, to fit the bill for the latter, but he is proving that assumption wrong.
“Rookie DL Yahya Black works his butt off to chase the football”, Alex Kozora wrote recently. He is in training camp for us, as you know, observing every play. He sees what Tomlin and the Steelers are seeing from the rookie fifth-round pick.
Not only is Black showing hustle, he is also showing instinct. He has batted down his fair share of passes so far in training camp, though training camp produces more. In an environment in which you can’t touch the quarterback, you’ll be actively policing the throwing lanes. Even taken in that context, though, what he has done is impressive.
“And our big men have got to be able to hustle”, Tomlin said, before singling out Yahya Black. “Certainly, we’ve got a desire to acquire big and long people. But the training component of it, the things that we value, [is important]. We’ve got to have little guys that hit. We’ve got to have big men that are willing to hustle and run”.
Though he still has to secure a roster spot, Black appears very much on his way to doing so. A good showing in the preseason will do just that in a crowded room. The Steelers need versatile big bodies in the middle, and he is looking as though he fits the bill.
Yahya Black wasn’t always a massive human being. He was around 250 pounds when he went to college, which produces a much different build on a 6-5 man. Mind you, he also played basketball and ran track, so his hustle and relative athleticism for his size is not a mystery.
So far, so good for the entirety of the Steelers’ rookie class, though. Even down to the late-round picks, it seems everybody is making at least a representative impression for themselves. That includes Yahya Black, who should be competing for rotational reps on Sundays.
