Yahya Black Looks Like a Steal for Steelers After First Padded Practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few Iowa Hawkeyes in training camp this year after selecting running back Kaleb Johnson in the second round, defensive lineman Yahya Black in the fifth round, and picking up safety Sebastian Castro as an undrafted free agent.

All three players have generated some buzz early on. Castro is the most likely undrafted player at Steelers camp to make the 53-man roster and Johnson should see plenty of carries this season alongside incumbent starter Jaylen Warren.

But the real big surprise in Pittsburgh has been Yahya Black. The 6-foot-5, 336-pound defensive lineman has made the most of his opportunities, earning more and more with each practice.

Former Hawkeye Gets Early First-Team Look With Steelers

The Steelers practiced in pads for the first time on Wednesday, giving Black his first opportunity to really show what he can do in the trenches in full-contact action. Reports out of camp Wednesday suggest that Black put in another great practice and even snuck in some first-team reps.

To halt some of the excitement, Black isn’t winning a first-string job. 15-year veteran Cam Heyward and first-round pick Derrick Harmon are ahead of Black on the depth chart. Heyward seemed to be limited for most of the day on Wednesday and didn’t participate in many team drills, which opened up opportunities for Black to step in.

The excitement can proceed with the fact that Black has clearly cemented a roster spot for himself and a place in the Steelers' defensive line rotation. Black was brought in to provide depth at all three interior defensive line positions, and it would appear he’ll be first in line to take the field when Heyward, Harmon, or nose tackle Keeanu Benton need a breather.

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Black won’t offer the Steelers the same pass-rushing capabilities as the three starters, but he’s shown great feel for the game by batting down multiple passes at practice and has carried over his comfort in stuffing the run. So, the Steelers likely already feel they can count on their fifth-round rookie to help out in short-yardage situations.

Back at Iowa, Black had 117 tackles, 15 for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. He also deflected 11 passes and forced three fumbles. If he keeps up the good work, it seems he’ll have ample opportunity to fill his professional stat sheet in a similar fashion.

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