The Pittsburgh Steelers seem likely to take a defensive lineman in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Perhaps the fastest riser to the 21st overall pick has become Oregon’s Derrick Harmon.
Harmon shined at the NFL Combine, pushing his stock up from a fringe first rounder to a top-25 selection. He is right in the thick of discussions for the Steelers at the 21st overall selection.
In Indianapolis, Harmon stood at 6-foot-4, weighing in at 313 pounds. Harmon ran a 4.95 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split, both great numbers for his size.
If Harmon is the pick, the Steelers must parse through some items. For one, the talented Walter Nolen and Kenneth Grant will be options, but they are entirely different archetypes of players. Grant is a true nose tackle, while Nolen is a traditional three-technique.
However, Harmon might be the most prototypical Steelers defensive lineman in the entire class. One scout told Lance Zierlein of NFL Network that Harmon looked like ‘a Steeler or Raven’, and directly compared him to Cam Heyward.
“He plays like a Raven or a Steeler. Off the tape, he reminds me of a young Cam Heyward but bigger,” the scout told Zierlein.
Harmon is a commonly mocked player to the Steelers, right up there with Grant and Nolen. In large part, the Heyward comparisons are a big piece of why, as Harmon should slot in as a tradition five-technique that can scoot inside during sub-packages, much like Heyward.
The Steelers only sent a scout to Oregon’s Pro Day rather than a horde of the top brass, or even defensive line coach Karl Dunbar. Still, it is hard to see the team not being interested in Harmon, who fits exactly what they like at the position.
The Steelers have one young piece in Keeanu Benton, but Benton could switch spots on the defensive line. If that is the case, then a player like Grant would be likelier than Harmon to kick Benton out from nose tackle.
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