Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black may still be rookies, but with as much as they’ve played for the Steelers, they’re no longer showing it. On Thursday, the veteran of the group, Cam Heyward, talked about the maturation of their two young defensive linemen. In doing so, he provided some specifics about what he’s seen, including how they approach their off-the-field learning.
“I think the thing they show the most is their questions. They’re very advanced,” Heyward said via the Steelers’ website. “One example is just, you watch Derrick Harmon, he’s getting double tight ends to the side, and you see him swim out of the gap. Sometimes you would say, as a beginner, stay in that B gap. But as you get more comfortable, you can play both gaps. And we talked a lot about that. And the same thing with Yahya [Black]. You’re starting to see him use more extension, and it’s making more of a dent in the line of scrimmage.”
In other words, they’re not only asking the right questions, but Heyward is seeing them translate it to the field. While Harmon has been a starter all season, Black has been playing a larger role. Since Daniel Ekuale went down, the Steelers have had to play him at nose tackle, a move they previously resisted.
Pittsburgh selected Derrick Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and then went back for Yahya Black in the fifth. Barring Harmon’s early injury, both contributed immediately. We have seen growth and maturation from both of them, although neither has yet reached their full potential.
In seven games, Derrick Harmon has played 273 snaps, or about 53 percent of the Steelers’ total in those games. He has tallied 17 tackles, including one for loss, with two sacks, plus one batted pass. Yahya Black has played in all nine games, amassing 197 snaps, having seen a variety of snap counts. In that time, he has accumulated eight tackles. While he hasn’t recorded a sack yet, he has one quarterback hit.
The Steelers liked that both Harmon and Black showed in college that they could play in their system. While they play more one-gapping with their defensive line, Pittsburgh still asks its linemen to be able to hold a point and defend either side. Harmon has undoubtedly grown in his ability to do that over the course of the season.
It’s not as easy for a 3-4 defensive lineman to flash, but the Steelers’ rookies have attracted some attention. Their selection of Harmon, for example, recently earned high marks based on what he has contributed thus far. With Black starting to take some snaps at nose tackle, he is also adapting to the added responsibility.
Recommended for you