Exit Meeting: DL Yahya Black
Experience: 1 Year
Yahya Black is the other defensive lineman the Steelers drafted last year, and perhaps a big part of their future. It’s far too early to say that, but by all accounts, the Steelers like what they see so far. What that will turn into a year or two from now, who’s to say? But it’s far from abnormal for a player in his position to turn into a regular contributor.
The Steelers selected Yahya Black in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. By then, they had already added Derrick Harmon, a Day 1 starter, in the first round. Or rather, Harmon would have started on Day 1 had he been healthy.
Because he wasn’t that put more on Black’s plate, and probably more than he was prepared for. He did struggle a bit at first to find his bearings. But over the course of the season, he seemed to grow more comfortable, and he started to make more plays.
In all, Yahya Black started three games out of 17, logging an impressive 416 defensive snaps. He recorded 28 tackles with 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovery, and 2 passes defensed. And he has the right disposition to play in the defensive trenches, which I suppose counts for something.
With Harmon and Black, paired with Keeanu Benton, the Steelers have three young defensive linemen. But is this their future starting lineup, once Cam Heyward retires? Given that Heyward just signed another one-year extension, they have some time to find out.
This will be an important season not just for Yahya Black, but for the Steelers. They need to learn not only about him, but about Harmon and especially Benton. The latter is a fourth-year player going into the final season of his rookie contract. Before the season even starts, they have to decide whether to extend him.
Whether they do or not, they also have to decide where he’ll play. What if they ultimately decide Benton is better on the outside and Yahya Black should play nose tackle? That’s one way to go, and it will be a new coaching staff making that decision.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves licking their wounds after yetanother early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, but with major change coming. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we willgo down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? The resignation of Mike Tomlin makes those questions much more difficult to answer, but much more important. We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
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