Steelers Draft 340-Pound Lineman As 'Derrick Henry Stopper'

When Derrick Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens last offseason, it sent out a memo to the other AFC North teams that they needed to improve their run defense.

And that is exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers did in the 2025 NFL Draft when they took Iowa's Yahya Black in the fifth round.

On a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly talked about the big defensive tackle, and how the Steelers could use him in a special way when they face up against Derrick Henry and the Ravens.

"[Yahya Black] is a big guy, what is he? 340-something?" Kaboly said. "Plug it up. Once again, those are specific games. That's Baltimore games when you have those big running games. Even Cleveland, to a degree now after they got a big running back. That's a guy that is specific to game plans, and he'll probably play five snaps one game and 35 the next game eventually."

Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has said that Black will be competing for the three/four-tech spot, but that does not mean that he cannot work his way up with solid play when gets snaps.

Black finished with a total of 117 combined tackles during his time at Iowa, showing that he can plug up the run. He also was able to get his hands on some passes, deflecting 11 balls at the line.

The 6-2, 247-pound Henry, now 31-year-old, plowed for 1,921 yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns on 325 carries last year for the Ravens.

The Steelers take a lot of pride in their defense, but players like Henry pose a threat to anyone they play. So having a specialist like Black could come in handy.