NFL Draft Prediction: Steelers take defensive tackle in first round
Mock drafting the National Football League can be as complex as getting a perfect March Madness bracket and no matter how many predictive models get mixed with facts – like team visits, pro days, meetings – it can be hit and miss. With the Pittsburgh Steelers preparing for this week’s 2025 NFL Draft, it’s impossible to know with 100 percent certainty what the team will do once they’re on the clock. We can as fans, however, make educated predictions.
Looking over all the visits the Steelers have and have not made this spring, my magic 8 ball for the first round of this year’s draft keeps coming up with one position when I flip it: defensive tackle.
The Steelers had four defensive tackles in for official ’30’ visits and another four defensive linemen. It’s not a secret that the team needs to find talent on their defensive front with Larry Ogunjobi’s departure and Cameron Heyward entering the latter years of his career.
Pittsburgh covets strength in the trenches, and they’re in need of better pressure and run stopping prowess along the defensive line.
Several of the players they visited with that play those positions did not align with a first-round talent score. Not that pre-draft scores have ever been incorrect – they have. One player the Steelers have shown interest in that does score high happens to play defensive tackle and is predicted to be available without needing to move up to select him: Derrick Harmon.
Why Harmon?
After spending three seasons developing from a 3-star recruit to a solid defensive piece at Michigan State, Harmon rolled the dice that his transfer to Oregon would be transformational. That roll paid off.
The 6’5″, 310-pound interior defender went from being a rotational player to a cornerstone of the Ducks’ dominant defensive front. Part of the historic 13-0 run that led to the Big 10 championship title, Harmon was the anchor.
An area that Harmon excels in is quarterback hurries (39 in 2023) and his quick first step found him in many opponents’ offensive backfields wreaking havoc. Harmon has raw power off of the snap that forced opponents to adjust their protection schemes to keep their quarterbacks in play. He’d get double-teamed and chipped yet still find ways to dominate, especially against the run.
That isn’t to say Harmon can’t act as a pass rusher, though. He found ways to penetrate gaps and be disruptive while showing he is scheme-versatile.
That type of versatility is the type of skill the Steelers love to build on and develop.
What scouts have pointed out
Harmon impressed pro scouts with the elite upper body strength and core strength he exhibits while utilizing big hands to win leverage battles. Possessing an impressive rip move, Harmon has three-down potential. His awareness and play recognition skills have shown Harmon has the ability to diagnose plays before the snap and get into position to beat blocks and stuff runs.
Harmon has big dog mentality in competition, and isn’t afraid of contact maintaining gaps or collapsing pockets. He can work down the line well laterally and is quick to adjust.
Why DT over any other position?
The Steelers obviously have pressing issues at quarterback. After assembling a bevy of mock models, it seems clear that Pittsburgh can still get a rookie at that position in a later round and not suffer irreparable damage.
Likewise, the Steelers could use a running back to develop. The rushers they met with were not, as a group, ranked high as first-round talent. That seems to indicate that the scouting group has found at least one player they feel will be available and address depth at that position.
The defensive line, though, has been a concern over the past two NFL seasons. Just when the Steelers thought they were solid, someone – including Ogunjobi – would suffer a setback. They were especially vulnerable against teams that fielded big rushers and quarterbacks willing to use their feet.
Harmon is unlikely to make it past the opening round of the draft. The other players the Steelers visited with may still be quality options, but they’re not quite as NFL-ready as Harmon is.
Again, predictions are like a magical potion of fact, feeling, sight, gut, and gambles. Nothing in the NFL Draft is certain until the team’s pick is in and official.
But, taking everything into consideration, grabbing a Top 10 defensive lineman off the board in the first round makes the most long term sense for a Steelers team that has boosted nearly every other position on defense leading up to the draft.
