There wasn’t a lot flash throughout the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft class, however there was loads of substance that stuffed main wants and has them nearer to getting again to their bodily, hard-nosed methods.
Even with out that flash and the dearth of true massive names within the draft, Pittsburgh’s general class was ranked among the many finest within the league Monday morning by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Brugler ranked the Steelers’ draft class at No. 4 general within the NFL, behind solely the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks, and simply forward of the New York Giants. Elsewhere within the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens ranked No. 9, whereas the Cincinnati Bengals checked in at No. 29 general.
Within the three-day draft, the Steelers landed Oregon DL Derrick Harmon within the first spherical, Iowa working again Kaleb Johnson within the third spherical, Ohio State outdoors linebacker Jack Sawyer within the fourth spherical, Iowa defensive linemen Yahya Black within the fifth spherical after a commerce down with the Chiefs that netted a second seventh-rounder, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard within the sixth spherical, Washington linebacker Carson Bruener within the seventh spherical and Central Michigan cornerback Donte Kent within the seventh spherical.
Brugler’s favourite Steelers decide of the draft was Harmon, a participant he mocked to the Steelers at No. 21 general days earlier than the beginning of the draft in Inexperienced Bay.
“Kaleb Johnson will probably be pretty much as good as his quantity permits within the Steelers’ backfield committee. However I’ve to go along with Harmon, who’s my favourite prospect within the draft class and landed within the good spot,” Brugler writes concerning the collection of Harmon. “The Detroit native is constantly disruptive and may line up wherever on the Steelers’ defensive position.
“Regardless of some medical considerations associated to his again and hip, it gained’t be stunning if he turns into the following Cam Heyward.”
Harmon fashions his sport after Heyward and performs an identical model. He led all FBS defensive tackles in pressures final season with 55 and was a power in opposition to the run in his lone season at Oregon, too.
After the collection of Harmon, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that Harmon has “Steeler DNA” and Omar Khan mentioned he was the participant the Steelers wished all alongside. That matches the Steelers’ focus of constructing via the trenches, including physicality with the large males up entrance.
Harmon brings nice physicality, measurement and athleticism to the trenches, and tasks to be the Steelers’ subsequent constructing block alongside their defensive position.
There are some medical considerations with Harmon, particularly his shoulder, however that every one checked out for the Steelers.
As for the Day 3 decide who has an opportunity to shock, it was a simple collection of Brugler: Sawyer.
“The Steelers are all the time trying to bolster their go rush, and so they did so with Sawyer,” Brugler writes. “He won’t have ultimate suddenness or size, however his exercise degree permits him to impression the backfield. With robust palms and instincts, he can play on each run and go downs and shortly make an impression.”
The skin linebacker position wasn’t extensively considered as a necessity for the Steelers, however they positive love so as to add depth and expertise there at any time when they will. Tomlin said final season after the commerce for Preston Smith which you can by no means have sufficient go rushers, and the Steelers leaned into that philosophy with the Sawyer addition.
He won’t have a lot of an impression on protection in 2025 because the fourth OLB behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, however he has an opportunity to carve out a task on particular groups and will function good depth for the Steelers on the protection, the place the OLB place is the important thing cog within the engine.
Total, it was a great draft class for the Steelers that addressed loads of wants and added critical physicality and expertise to their roster, significantly on protection, the place they wanted a big enhance.
