Steelers Rookie Drawing Mean Joe Greene Comparisons

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers received tough news with the injury to first-round pick Derrick Harmon. While he is expected to return soon, he’s unlikely to play in their Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets. Down a starter, the defense will likely afford fellow rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black more snaps.

Black has been one of the best surprises so far in his first season with the Steelers. Since training camp began, he’s been one of the most productive and impressive players on the defensive side of the ball. His long reach is a thorn in the side of quarterbacks, constantly swatting balls down at the line of scrimmage and obscuring their vision. As Pat McAfee Show correspondent Mark Kaboly recently told 93.7 The Fan, his quick d evelopment has been a pleasant emergence for the organization.

“I think he has transitioned well from the college game to here,” he told 93.7 The Fan. “Being able to use his hands, pressing guys off of him. Just his strength, brute force.”

The bruising, 6’6” defensive lineman is a force to be reckoned with already, and he’s yet to make his regular season debut. Still, the Steelers are already experimenting with ways to utilize him at the line of scrimmage. One potential way takes inspiration from team legend and Hall of Fame defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene.

“Yesterday, you saw him doing the old Joe Greene cockeyed nose tackle spot,” Kaboly explained. “Which is really hard to defend. I don’t know if that was just for you-know-what and giggles last night. But I’d like to see if they’re going to move forward with that a little bit, too, in base defense.”

The anchor of the famous Steel Curtain created the cocked, or tilted, nose tackle approach. It refers to a defensive lineman’s alignment at the line of scrimmage, which gives them a better angle to attack the offensive lineman’s hands and disrupt the play early. As Kaboly indicates, it may not be an intentional or long-term decision on the Steelers’ defense, but it’s an impressive thing to see when another Pittsburgh defensive tackle can execute the method.

The performance has also reminded Kaboly of another Steelers leader. As if Mean Joe wasn’t compliment enough, Black also reminds the team insider of the current leader of the defense, Cam Heyward.

“He does remind me of a modern-day Cam Heyward,” he declared. “Just for how he approaches the… run-stopping aspect of the game. Nobody would have thought he would get off to this type of start.”

Now, no one is claiming that Black’s name in Canton, Ohio is already enshrined, but the praise is worth noting. His performance as a rookie in training camp and the preseason has earned him more playing time and an expanded role. With Harmon still out with an MCL sprain, it opens the door for the other most impressive rookie to keep earning more with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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