As we’ve done in the past, we’re putting together an offseason review of young Pittsburgh Steelers players and where they can improve the most ahead of the 2026 season. We’ll start with second-year DL Derrick Harmon.
Harmon had a solid rookie year. Even missing five games with multiple knee injuries, his run defense was steady and excellent. There was a notable improvement against the run when Harmon was on the field, as we noted in our recent charting.
As a pass rusher, Harmon has far more room to grow. Three sacks across 12 games doesn’t look bad, but the tape and data aren’t nearly as strong.
On tape, Harmon too often attacks down the middle of the rusher instead of half-man. He also lacks a go-to rush move. His bull rush must get stronger when attacking down the middle, and he needs to improve his swipes and bend off the edge to turn the corner.
Here’s a couple clips of the issue.
Some rushes and schemes dictate where a rusher can and can’t go based on what the rest of the rush is doing. Still, Harmon can do more here to win.
That’s backed up by the data. Per our charting, here is Harmon’s pressure figure and pressure rate.
Derrick Harmon Pressure Splits
Weeks 1-9: 12 pressures, 12.8 snaps per pressure
Weeks 10+: 3 pressures, 36.3 snaps per pressure
Even knowing Harmon missed time late in the year, the pressure rate nearly tripled.
Coming out of Oregon, my summary on Harmon was simple. He could be a great run defender and good pass rusher. He’s shown the run defense. The pass rush needs to evolve. It certainly can, and a new coaching staff might help. D-line Coach Domata Peko noted changing Harmon’s stance could bring more out of him.
Racking up at least 5 sacks with a pressure/snap rate of around 20 should be Harmon’s sophomore-year goal. That is certainly achievable and would cement Harmon as the right pick for the franchise to carry the baton from Cam Heyward into the future.
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