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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 first-round pick Derrick Harmon admits that he's already taking a page out of Cam Heyward's book

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 4:33 PM ET

Derrick Harmon wasn't drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers to be a year one Pro Bowler.

He was however, drafted to be the team's next Cam Heyward. Drafted to learn and be mentored by one of the Steelers' greats, and then takeover when captain Cam hangs up his cleats.

And according to Harmon, he can't wait to do just that...

Derrick Harmon Excited to learn under Cam Heyward

"My first thought process when I got the call was that I get to pick Cam’s brain, I can be under his wing, he can be my vet now, and I can really learn from him because he has been doing this forever – since I was a baby. It is what I wanted, really," said Harmon after he was selected by Pittsburgh.

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Derrick Harmon has everything you want from a modern defensive tackle. Sure, he shows the ability to play up and down the defensive line, but his combination of size and strength lends his services best utilized near the center. He's stiffer than you would like, and he may not play in wider defensive line alignments on an every-down basis.

Instead, you plug him squarely over the ball and dare teams to try and move him in the run game. It takes an army. And it won't be easy for any center-guard combo to wall him off. Should he develop his pass rush plan a bit and drop some weight to become more agile, then he could be utilized similarly to his time in college as a versatile lineman. For now, though, he's a day one starter at the defensive tackle position with immediate impact in the run game.

And that's exactly what the Steelers need right now. Heyward is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He also plays end. Keeanu Benton can kick outside and Grant can grow into the nose tackle role before he takes over for Heyward once he retires.

So for the Steelers, Harmon quite literally is the best of both worlds. He can fill an immediate need right now and become something even greater down the road. Add on the fact that he is a high-character individual, and even if QB would still have been the better move, it definitely takes the sting away.