If the Steelers are to have a breakout candidate, it might as well be their most recent non-rookie first-round pick. In this case, it’s Derrick Harmon, drafted 21st overall in 2025. Having shown promise as a rookie, he still has a lot to live up to. They drafted him hoping he could be the anchor of the defensive line for the future, after Cam Heyward retires.
Everyone and their mother is projecting him to have a breakout season, and that’s certainly reasonable. He has the talent that made him a first-round pick, of course, and he played well already as a rookie. His biggest flaw a year ago was simply his own body, which repeatedly suffered injuries. Limited to 12 games, he still produced 3 sacks and 5 quarterback hits. And like so many others, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic chose him as the Steelers’ breakout candidate for 2026.
“When healthy, the 6-4, 313-pound defensive tackle lived up to his draft position as a first-round pick”, he wrote of Harmon, having noted his injury issue. “The Steelers gave up an average of 166 rushing yards in the games Harmon missed and just over 90 in the games in which he played”.
“As these stats suggest”, he continued, “Harmon’s quick hips and strong hands allow him to get off blocks and make a difference in the run game. His challenge will be to stay healthy and add more as a pass rusher.”.
Derrick Harmon looks the part, and he has already shown that he can play like it, too. Other than improving his durability, he must now work toward consistency and fine-tuning. DeFabo wrote that the Steelers have plans for him with respect to expanding his pass-rush repertoire. That’s a wise and prudent move, but they can take a lesson from another room, too.
Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker room has flourished in recent years from within. Having the benefit of T.J. Watt, he helped teach Alex Highsmith, who both in term taught Nick Herbig. And all three of them took 2025 draft pick Jack Sawyer under their wing. In the case of Derrick Harmon, he has the advantage of Cam Heyward, and Keeanu Benton, too.
The Steelers drafted Heyward while transitioning from their old-guard defensive line in Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel. They timed the addition of Harmon to coincide with the end of Heyward’s career, too. While the latter has fought valiantly against age, time eventually catches up with everybody. Even if he has three or four more years left, Harmon is still bound to play the majority of his career without Heyward.
So the more he can learn from him now, the better he’ll be when Heyward is gone. But it would provide the Steelers a lot of comfort if Derrick Harmon could give them a clear idea, by the end of this season, if he can be that next Cam Heyward. It’s a lot to ask of anybody, talking about arguably a Hall of Famer. But that’s why he’s here.
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