The Pittsburgh Steelers made their intentions clear this offseason that they wanted to get better along their defensive trenches. They overturned the depth in the room and added numerous new faces. They also invested some of their notable draft resources in beefing up the room.
The most notable addition was first-round pick Derrick Harmon. The former Michigan State and Oregon product saw his name come off the board in the first round, and the hope is that he can eventually replace Cameron Heyward along the defensive line.
However, defensive linemen tend to have a bit of a learning curve once they enter the pros, and Pittsburgh notably gives its rookies time to develop. While this isn’t the same treatment that rookies saw even ten years ago, it isn’t uncommon for first-year players to have to earn their role, even under Omar Khan.
Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu started off on second teams and had to claw for playing time in year one. Joey Porter Jr. didn’t see starter snaps until the middle of his rookie season. Even Zach Frazier was the backup until an injury gave him the starting center role.
However, it looks like Harmon is already off to an impressive start. This could pay some massive dividends for the team ahead of the 2025 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are unusually high on Derrick Harmon
Typically, a first-round rookie like Harmon would be stuck in some sort of a rotation with a veteran as they earned their role. The team in theory has that veteran in Daniel Ekuale, but that hasn’t stopped Harmon’s ascension.
The Steelers aren’t keeping this a secret either. They came out and said that Harmon will already be their starter, and the expectation should be for him to stay there.
A part of that is due to the general lack of options along the defensive line, but again, this team has proven to keep their rookies on a slower timeline before seeing significant snaps. Harmon, meanwhile, is being fast-tracked to a starting job.
This signals that something is clicking already, and the league should be put on notice. Assuming Heyward continues his great play and Keeanu Benton continues to grow, a potent Harmon could become a league-wrecker.
Even if he doesn’t ascend to the elite ranks as a rookie, he can easily become a fine starter as a rookie with room to grow into something more.
It seems like Khan genuinely believes that he has found the next great Steelers defensive lineman. He is being thrust into a starting role so early on, and it is a clear sign that he is already living up to expectations. He could be in store for a massive rookie season.
