The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed defensive lineman Derrick Harmon to his rookie contract, according to Tom Pelissero. Harmon’s contract with be a four-year deal with a team option for his fifth-year option.
Since he was the No. 21 selection, Harmon’s four-year contract with a club option for the fifth year will pay him $17,973,596 with a $9,711,74 signing bonus, according to OverTheCap.com. All of his contract will be fully guaranteed.
Harmon joins the Steelers as the first interior defensive lineman they have taken in the first round since Cam Heyward.
Harmon was flagged with a shoulder injury before the NFL Draft, which caused some teams to back off him. Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant went ahead of the Oregon product, who started his collegiate career at Michigan State.
That shoulder injury involves a partially torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum, which could require surgery. However, it is not expected to affect his availability this season.
Harmon has not missed a game in three seasons while playing college football at Michigan State and Oregon. So, this would be an out-of-left-field medical concern.
In Indianapolis, Harmon stood at 6-foot-4, weighing in at 313 pounds. Harmon ran a 4.95 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split, both great numbers for his size.
One NFL scout told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein that Harmon reminds me a lot of Heyward.
“He plays like a Raven or a Steeler. Off the tape, he reminds me of a young Cam Heyward but bigger,” the scout told Zierlein.
This year, Harmon had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. In his collegiate career, Harmon posted 8.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.
Harmon will slot in as a five-technique opposite of Cam Heyward, while Keeanu Benton will stick at nose tackle. He will likely train as the eventual successor to Heyward but can play in sub-packages as a pass rusher.