The Athletic has live coverage of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Check out Dane Brugler’s all-encompassing draft guide, “The Beast,” and his breakdown of the top 300 prospects available.
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24 with six picks over the three-day event and needs at defensive tackle, running back and, yes, quarterback, among other positions.
With Shedeur Sanders still on the board at No. 21, Pittsburgh passed and instead beefed up its defensive line with defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Keep coming back here throughout the draft for grades and analysis of each Steelers pick.
Round 1
No. 21: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
How he fits
This took guts, but Pittsburgh made the right move. The Steelers took the best player available to fortify their defense, which was exploited in a playoff loss to Baltimore. Harmon will step right in next to Cameron Heyward and become a stout run defender. It wasn’t easy for the Steelers to pass up a quarterback — which they desperately need — but they didn’t reach. That’s why they always have winning seasons.
Harmon (6-foot-4 1/2, 313 pounds) began his career at Michigan State, then transferred to Oregon last season. He was a second-team All-American after putting up five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. With massive arms (34 3/8 inches) and wingspan (83 3/4) combined with a 4.95 40 time, Harmon blends every type of physical trait required to play defensive tackle at an elite level. — Scott Dochterman
Dane Brugler’s analysis
A one-year starter at Oregon, Harmon lined up primarily over the B-gap in defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s multiple fronts. He flashed promise at Michigan State before transferring to Eugene and producing his breakout season in 2024, when he led all FBS interior defensive linemen with 55 pressures (12 more than the next-closest DT).
A player who can win in different ways, Harmon forces blockers to attack air with his lateral explosiveness or uses strong, crafty hands to swat away the reach of blockers as he bursts through gaps to close on the ball carrier. Though he led FBS interior linemen in pressures, he also led the position in missed tackles (12) — even the smallest improvements in his backfield finishing ability would have resulted in double-digit sacks. Overall, Harmon is a highly active and disruptive big man who consistently finds ways to gain freedom from blocks as a penetrating pass rusher and run stuffer. He projects as a scheme-diverse NFL starter, anywhere from one- to five-tech.
Mike DeFabo’s analysis
Grade: A
Round 3
No. 83
Round 4
No. 123
Round 5
No. 156
Round 6
No. 185 (from Bears via Seahawks)
Round 7
No. 229
(Photo of Derrick Harmon: Troy Wayrynen / Imagn Images)