Rebuild or Reload? Steelers First Round Pick’s Early Shine Fuels Hype Around This Year’s Draft Class
The Steelers maintain high expectations for rookie first-round pick Derrick Harmon. Harmon, who finished his college career at Oregon after three years at Michigan State, is a brute strong defensive tackle who has impressive speed, quickness, and agility for a man his size, as he stands at six foot four and 318 pounds. The young prospect has stood out in the beginning of OTA’s and is looking to make an immediate impact and learn as much as he can from his surrounding teammates and the Pittsburgh culture: “I’m learning from everyone from Cam to Milk. KB has been here for three years, and I’m trying to learn from all of them. I’m asking as many questions because I don’t know what I don’t know.”. The instant leadership and work ethic presented by Harmon is a sign of good things to come for the Steelers heading into the upcoming season.
While the defense should remain one of the top units in the league, the offense remains a question mark, with decisions to be made at quarterback. Sixth-round pick Will Howard has impressed the Steelers organization more than one would expect from a day-three, sixth-round draft pick this early into the off-season. He has a unique skill set, which consists of his ability to win at the highest level, which the Steelers hope will translate to the NFL. Howard is a proven winner, and he finds himself in a better situation than most rookie quarterbacks, with multiple offensive weapons and a stellar defensive roster and scheme. With Harmon hoping to be a key factor in winning games and the surrounding pieces on defense, this will lift a burden off of Howard if given the starting role, allowing him to progress and maximize his potential.
Derrick Harmon has a true passion for the game of football, and he’s constantly showing just how much. He refers to a couple of teammates when speaking on his learning experience since entering the league. Keeanu Benton is a traditional nose tackle who is on the roster for his third year since getting drafted by the Steelers in 2023. Gaining lots of experience in the league, Harmon wishes to learn a lot from Benton on how to improve his specific position skills. He also mentions Cameron Heyward, likely a future Hall of Famer, and a 15-year vet in the NFL. Heyward has dominated in the league for over a decade and will be a great asset to Harmon, helping him develop and improve on things such as his pass-rushing skills, leadership, and winning ability.
With all of the doubt surrounding the offensive scheme, changes to skill position groups, and the uncertainty at quarterback, it simply didn’t seem to be the right time or draft board to fix these issues. The Steelers chose to use their early draft pick to focus on maintaining their defense as a force to be reckoned with. With an All-Pro in T.J. Watt, an experienced vet in Cameron Heyward, and many other growing pieces, the Steelers have a lot to be excited about. Derrick Hamron being the focal point of this draft class, with all of the surrounding weapons, the Steelers could be aiming for a “Legion of Boom” type of defensive front. Pittsburgh looks to enter the season with new energy, a winning mentality, and a defense that works as a one-unit machine.
