As we look back one year later, the opening night of the 2025 NFL Draft stands out as a defining checkpoint in the Steelers’ evolving identity under Omar Khan. What began with weeks of speculation about quarterbacks, trade-ups, and mock-draft chaos ultimately settled into a moment of clarity—one where Pittsburgh stayed disciplined, trusted its board, and doubled down on rebuilding the trenches.
For most of April, national analysts linked the Steelers to everything from a potential quarterback swing to a trade-up for an offensive tackle. The noise only intensified as draft night approached, with rumors swirling about teams behind Pittsburgh eyeing the same cluster of defensive linemen. Yet when the clock hit pick No. 21, the Steelers stayed put and made the selection they had been preparing for all along.
This installment of our 2025 Steelers Offseason Recall revisits that first-round decision, when the Steelers held firm and selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, a player Khan and Mike Tomlin openly described as embodying “Steelers DNA.”
The Pittsburgh #Steelers select Oregon DT Derrick Harmon in the #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/I3fVsGHUXb
— (@steelcityundrgr) April 25, 2025
Harmon arrived with the blend of size, athleticism, and leadership that both Oregon and Michigan State raved about. At 6’5″, 310 pounds, he was one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the class—capable of diagnosing the run, collapsing pockets, and forcing Big Ten offenses to rework their blocking schemes just to keep him contained. For a team that had struggled against physical rushing attacks and mobile quarterbacks in recent seasons, the pick addressed a glaring need.
Why it mattered became clear quickly. Pittsburgh’s defensive line had reached a transition point, with the organization needing a young, high-ceiling interior presence to pair with Keeanu Benton and eventually take pressure off Cam Heyward’s aging workload.
Harmon’s versatility—able to play nose, 3-tech, or slide into hybrid fronts—fit seamlessly into Teryl Austin‘s system, which values linemen who can anchor against the run while still generating interior disruption.
Training camp would later show how quickly Harmon’s motor and maturity translated to the NFL, and his rookie season reflected that early promise. In 12 games (8 starts), Harmon posted 27 total tackles (11 solo), 3.0 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 5 QB hits, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass defensed—a sturdy first step for a player expected to grow into a core piece of the defensive front.
His breakout moment came midseason, when injuries forced him into a larger role against a run-heavy opponent. Harmon responded with a multi-pressure performance that helped tilt the game in Pittsburgh’s favor, showcasing the exact blend of strength and quickness that made him a first-round target.
Draft night was the moment Pittsburgh made its intentions clear: strengthen the core, build from the inside out, and secure a defender capable of contributing immediately. One year later, the pick looks like a foundational piece of the Steelers’ long-term defensive rebuild.
Stay tuned as we revisit another key moment from last season in next week’s Recall.