With recent Steelers draft picks producing mixed results, Derrick Harmon’s first NFL game last Sunday was a breath of fresh air. Not only did he notch a sack in his debut, something no Steeler had done since T.J. Watt, but there’s clearly more room for growth. One former Steelers DL has high hopes for Harmon after seeing him in action.
“I thought he represented himself well, and there’s so much room for improvement,” Chris Hoke said Thursday via 93.7 The Fan’s Pomp and Joe Show. “What stood out to me was he was relentless, he was tough, he was physical, he flew to the football. And that’s what you want in a professional football player. That’s what you want in a first-round draft pick. This guy, I believe, is gonna be a star in Pittsburgh.”
Harmon’s sack was nothing more than a high motor and solid play strength as he powered through a block and cleaned up Cam Heyward’s pressure. But he had plenty of promising flashes in his debut. His bull rush and play strength stood out.
Here is a clip of his sack, Harmon working his way through a double team and into the backfield.
Check out my full film room breakdown of his debut.
I’m glad Hoke pointed out Harmon’s relentless play and his desire to swarm to the football. One of my favorite plays of the day was Harmon turning around and making a tackle 10 yards down the field. To already have that trait in his first career game is a great sign for the Steelers.
He will need to improve his technique in certain areas, including pad level and gap discipline, but it sounds like Harmon has been nothing but receptive and hard working behind the scenes.
“From what I hear from guys on the team that I’m close to, he’s a humble guy. He’s mature, he wants to be great. He wants to work, he wants to play technique the Steeler Way,” Hoke said. “All those things combined are gonna make him a great football player.”
The Steelers made it their mission to improve their defensive front after the late-season collapse in 2024. And they didn’t do that through a wave of veteran free agent signings. They needed Harmon to be a big part of the solution, and he is already showing he can be.
Cam Heyward won’t be able to play forever and Keeanu Benton is struggling to turn into the reliable pillar of the defensive line that everybody hoped he would be. If Harmon keeps developing, they might finally have someone for Heyward to pass the torch to as the next great Steelers defensive lineman.
