It’s still very early in the 2025 season, and the impact has been limited, but four Pittsburgh Steelers rookies are looking rather good.
Good enough, at least, to crack the early All-Rookie team from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler Wednesday morning.
He’s played just two NFL games, but first-round pick Derrick Harmon has been as advertised. Fellow defensive lineman and fifth-round pick Yahya Black is up there, too. So is fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer, who has stepped up and been a nice depth piece at outside linebacker. The fourth rookie in that mix? It’s a bit unexpected, but rookie seventh-round pick Carson Bruener earned praise from Brugler due to his work on special teams.Â
All four rookies were just honorable mention, but the arrows are pointing up for each of them.
Harmon finds himself behind Cleveland’s Mason Graham and the Chargers’ Jamaree Caldwell on the first and second team on Brugler’s all-rookie team at defensive line. But he’s among honorable mentions with Black as well as Tampa Bay’s Elijah Roberts, Detroit’s Tyliek Williams, Buffalo’s Deone Walker, Miami’s Jordan Phillips and Kenneth Grant, and Cleveland’s Aidan Huntington.
Since making his NFL debut in Week 3 against the New England Patriots, Harmon has made an impact. He recorded his first career sack in the win over the Patriots, taking down Drake Maye with some help from Cameron Heyward.
Harmon also made a significant play in Dublin, Ireland, in Week 4. He tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage, leading to a DeShon Elliott interception. He models his game after Heyward, and he looked like his mentor on the play, getting his hand in the passing lane.
Harmon has played 70 snaps in two games and holds a grade of just 55.4 overall from Pro Football Focus, but he’s looked good early in his NFL career. He has five pressures on just 54 pass-rush snaps, putting him on a great pace. He’s playing the run well, too.
Black hasn’t quite lived up to the hype from the preseason, but he’s been a serviceable defensive lineman, one who is still learning the game. He’s played 112 snaps, including a season-high 40 snaps in Week 2 against Seattle. In those 112 snaps, Black holds a grade of 46.3 overall from PFF and has two pressures.
Off the edge, Sawyer has really impressed in recent weeks. With both Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith having dealt with injuries early in the season, Sawyer has played more defensively than expected. He’s played 65 snaps and holds a very respectable grade of 72.9 on the season. He has three pressures and has been credited with four run stops.
His best play came in Week 2 against Seattle when three players tried to block T.J. Watt on the same side, leaving Sawyer unblocked, leading to his first career sack.
The Steelers look very good at outside linebacker moving forward, and Sawyer is a key part of that from a depth perspective. He’s playing some good ball on special teams, too, which is very encouraging.
Speaking of special teams, that’s where Bruener is making his mark.
He’s played just one snap defensively, but he’s a fixture on special teams, logging 65 snaps under coordinator Danny Smith. In those snaps, Bruener has a grade of 79.9 from PFF. He’s made four special teams tackles and one assist, is consistently around the ball in coverage. The Washington product has locked down that fifth ILB role on the roster, replacing Mark Robinson.
There might be some disappointment with the rookie class, particularly third-round running back Kaleb Johnson, as far as overall impact goes. But things are really looking up for the Steelers’ draft class as a whole. They’re filling roles and making plays.
