With the news that rookie first-round pick Derrick Harmon injured his knee and was carted to the locker room Thursday night in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers, the attention shifted quickly to fellow Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black.
The Iowa product didn’t disappoint in the second half, recording his first sack in the NFL. He later had a hand in another sack and fumble by the Panthers, giving the Steelers the football.
On Black’s first sack, he showed off some good hand usage and power, beating the blocker cleanly to get to Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins and create splash for Pittsburgh.
Black hit the push-pull on the Panthers’ center, winning right at the snap of the football, gaining control of the blocker with his hands to the chest, then pulling to get past and finishing with good burst for the sack.
He also showed off a great celebration, rubbing his belly after the play.
The pass rush rep was a continuation of good work in that area of the game so far this preseason. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in his preseason debut, Black had one pressure and graded out at an 82.0 as a pass rusher from Pro Football Focus. Then against Tampa Bay, Black graded at just at 50.5 from PFF as a pass rusher, but still had an impact.
On Thursday night in Carolina, he had the sack. Then on the next play, he helped force a fumble leading to a Steelers recovery, which turned into a field goal from rookie Ben Sauls.
Along with his pass rush prowess he’s shown throughout training camp and the preseason, Black also had a knack for getting his hand up in passing lanes and batting passes. Of course, being 6-foot-6 helps, but it takes timing and good hand-eye coordination to get his big paws on the football.
We’ll see what the news is on Harmon moving forward, but Black certainly brings plenty of intrigue and excitement to the defensive line room.
Recommended for you