The Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to be more physical up front in 2025. In two of their draft choices — Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black — the Steelers got their wish. There are high expectations for those two, but they’re starting to be fulfilled, according to assistant general manager Andy Weidl.
“We like what we saw from Derrick last week. We thought he impacted the game with his rushes. We thought he had pressures with his pass rush. We think he’s had a really good camp, his explosiveness, his length, his hands. He’s always working his hand stability, escape blocks in both phases,” Weidl said about Harmon via transcript provided by the team. “The energy comes off the ball with the explosiveness. All those things are attractive about the player when he came out of Oregon. There were reasons why we drafted him, along with the person, the makeup of who he is.”
As for Black, Weidl talked about his “instinct” to bat passes down.
“He had a knack for doing that in Iowa. I believe he did double digit PBUs there. He’s always had an instinct. He’s got 35-inch arms. He knows how to utilize those arms. He’s got excellent wingspan,” Weidl said. “The guy’s a giant, but he’s got really good eyes, really good instinct, very good football IQ. He’s been doing, I don’t know how many has at camp right now, he’s somewhere in the double digits, but he has a knack for it. That’s what’s great to see early on in his career.”
During training camp, Black was consistently batting down passes. It’s a trait he’s showing early that could wind up paying dividends for the Steelers. His long arms could also help him on the field goal unit to potentially block a kick.
Along with Jack Sawyer, both Harmon and Black are rookies expected to help a defensive line that struggled on the interior in 2025. Each of them had a solid beginning to their career in the Steelers’ win over the Jaguars last week. Black was very noticeable, and he did it on a small snap count. He was only out there for 10 defensive snaps and six special teams snaps. But he made an impact, especially running the passer.
Yahya Black has a massive frame, which makes him a great fit on the inside. Although he’s played defensive end at times in practice, he saw reps on the interior against Jacksonville. There, he used his frame and strength to make his presence felt, like this play.
He’s only a rookie, but his sheer strength and size already make him a problem for offensive linemen. Those skills help against the run too, another area where Black played well on Saturday. However, brute strength isn’t his only skill. The Steelers hope to further develop his pass rush moves. He showed a nice push-pull maneuver on Saturday, as well. During this play, Black is between the right guard and the right tackle, and he makes easy work of the guard before getting in the backfield.
Harmon’s debut was a little quieter. As a likely starter heading into his rookie year, the Steelers gave him more reps in the preseason, playing 32 snaps. Harmon wasn’t bad by any means, but he didn’t make any massive plays that grabbed viewer’s attention. That didn’t stop Mike Tomlin from praising Harmon after his first NFL action, though.
Harmon might not have been as electric as some thought he would be last week, but that’s okay. Most draft picks aren’t in their first preseason action. Other rookies like Kaleb Johnson and Jack Sawyer didn’t make any game-changing plays, either.
Speaking Thursday, Tomlin mentioned that he’ll be treating this week’s game against Tampa Bay similarly, in terms of playing time. Harmon got 32 snaps last week, so a similar snap count might be in store for him this week as the Steelers hope to get him up to speed in time for the regular season. Yahya Black could also see a similar total after playing 10 defensive snaps last week.
The Steelers are no strangers when it comes to addressing the trenches through the draft. Defensively, Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black are at the center of that effort. It seems like Weidl and the Steelers like what they’re getting out of that investment so far.
