Yahya Black
Yahya Black
You cannot miss Pittsburgh Steelers DL Yahya Black in a crowd. Even among his fellow defensive linemen, he’s impossible to miss. Just take a look at this picture from Monday’s practice that beat writer Mark Kaboly posted on X/Twitter.
Yahya Black is a mountain of a man, but that can raise concerns about his effectiveness. Is Yahya Black going to be too big to play defensive line well? Not according to Kaboly.
“You have to love what Yahya Black is doing,” Kaboly said Monday on 93.7 The Fan’s The Fan Morning Show. “Put that monster of a belly and man in the middle…Stick him in the middle and plug that sucker up. I think he’s taking a big step forward to being a big contributor this year.”
Kaboly isn’t the only one who believes in Yahya Black. The 2025 fifth-round pick has impressed head coach Mike McCarthy, and not just with his sheer size. McCarthy has praised Black’s ability to anchor and to move at nose tackle this camp.
For everyone who clamored for the Steelers to put Black at nose tackle last season, you’re getting your wish. It makes sense, too. The Steelers list Black on their roster at 6-5 and 330 pounds. That sounds and looks like a mammoth run plugger in the middle of the Steelers’ 3-4 defense.
It’s not just coaches and media praising Yahya Black, either. Steelers C Zach Frazier gets to see Black up close and personal on the practice field. He’s impressed with Black’s growth and can see him making an impact against the pass, not just the run. That would certainly elevate the Steelers’ defensive line, Black getting a big push up the middle while still being able to anchor against the run.
In a division with the Baltimore Ravens and RB Derrick Henry, the Steelers need to stop the run. Yahya Black could be the key to the Steelers’ run defense this year. Kaboly expects him to make a big jump. Perhaps as big a jump as Black is.