Steelers' 2025 Rookie 'Deeply Frustrated' With His First Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers had seven draft picks in their 2025 rookie class, which was headlined by first-round pick Derrick Harmon, a defensive lineman out of the University of Oregon. Along with him, the front office selected some solid depth pieces, such as Jack Sawyer and Yahya Black. Though it's pretty early to assess the class's overall effectiveness, these players have been solid in their roles thus far. The 2026 campaign will bring new challenges, but Pittsburgh may have found some studs, especially in the mid-to-late rounds. 

The Steelers brass likely knew it would take some time for some of these players to develop, as with any draft class. However, many of these players are known projects who possess great niches that can be built upon, like Sawyer and Black's run-stopping abilities. 

Along with the difficulty of jumping from college football to the pros, some players deal with injuries from college that can nag them into their early pro careers. This isn't rare, and often allows them to fall in drafts and become a steal of a pick later. Pittsburgh is no stranger to finding these types of players. 

One of the Steelers' picks from this draft, their first-rounder Harmon, was one of these cases. A lingering knee injury kept him off the field for multiple games in his rookie campaign, though when he was on the field, he showed out. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo wrote about Harmon in a feature story and revealed how the defensive lineman felt about his first pro season. 

"Harmon was deeply frustrated by his inability to stay on the field during his rookie season. He missed five games with knee injuries — one at the beginning of the season and another late in the season," Fittipaldo wrote. "The injuries took a toll on his production. Harmon finished his rookie campaign with 27 tackles, three sacks, and one fumble recovery. There were times when he flashed the playmaking skills that made him a top pick in the draft, but more consistency is needed for Harmon to become a true difference-maker on the Steelers’ defensive line."

Harmon has been working on adding new skills to his game, which should help him in his second year. He's an undeniable run-stopper, and the entire defense benefited from his presence in the middle of the line, but it's just a matter of staying on the field for Harmon. 

Harmon was one of the most highly-touted defensive linemen in his draft class. Teams were worried about those injuries, and rightfully so, but Harmon was NFL-ready. Pittsburgh needed to add a young piece to the line who could make an impact. The unit features aging star Cam Heyward, and there needs to be a plan in place for when he ultimately retires, so taking Harmon made sense. 

His frustration clearly comes from the injuries preventing him from playing and potentially hurting his development, but his play proved that he can be very capable of being a huge piece of the defense. The run defense was night and day with him on the field, and it takes pressure off Heyward. 

Steelers Need Harmon To Be Very Successful 

As mentioned before, the Steelers' run defense was among the league's worst without Harmon. However, when he did play, it was greatly improved. He'll have to try to stay on the field in 2026 for the defense to be at its best, which is the goal. Not to mention, he must add a powerful pass rush to become the total package. 

There will be a lot of eyes on Harmon in 2026, as many hope he will justify the first-round pick that the team used on him. Additionally, his services will be needed to revitalize a defense that struggled in 2025.