Even with a long rookie season on the horizon, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie first-round pick DL Derrick Harmon isn’t taking days off. Telling reporters during minicamp he planned to spend the six weeks before camp working out in Houston, Harmon’s pass-rush coach shared video of him honing his craft ahead of making the trek to Latrobe.
Brandon Jordan shared this clip of Harmon going through one drill, working on a two-hand swipe and finishing the rep by ripping through the top of the arc.
Jordan’s NFL clientele consists of a deep roster of well-known names. According to his website, other Steelers he works with include DL Cam Heyward and EDGEs T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Other notable names across the league include the Buffalo Bills’ Von Miller, Carolina Panthers DT Derrick Brown, and Houston Texans DE Will Anderson.
Derrick Harmon is one of several rookies working with Jordan. The New York Giants’ Abdul Carter, Cleveland Browns DT Mason Graham, and Atlanta Falcons James Pearce Jr. – all fellow first rounders – are some of the others.
Though not shown in the above or linked video. it’s possible Harmon is also receiving teaching from a former Steeler. One of Jordan’s clips show him partnering with former Steelers defensive tackle Brentson Buckner. Buckner spent more than a decade as a coach, interning with Pittsburgh in the early 2010s and most recently serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive line coach in 2022 and 2023.
Speaking with reporters on the final day of minicamp, Harmon said working out in Texas will prepare him for the training camp heat, especially now that practices return to an afternoon time slot in order to make players battle the elements.
Harmon will be counted on to boost the Steelers’ d-line pass rush. Last year, Cam Heyward paced the group with eight sacks. Combined, the rest of the defensive line recorded just 4.5 sacks. DT Larry Ogunjobi was ineffective and cut in the offseason while NT Keeanu Benton struggled to turn pressures into sacks, recording only one of the latter. It didn’t come until Week 18.
Harmon broke out in his final college season, notching five sacks. He’s previously noted the need to refine his pass rush and win with his first move more often. The Steelers will hope the extra work will pay off.
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