Steelers’ Tomlin Explains Derrick Harmon Pick amid Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Draft Slide

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers were thought of as a possible landing spot for Shedeur Sanders in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, they instead opted to address the trenches by taking Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at No. 21 overall.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the first round the addition of Harmon was about the "extreme urgency" they felt to improve their defensive front early in the draft:

"Extreme urgency to be quite honest with you. There's no substitute for young talent. You don't have a chance to field a quality defense unless you're stout up front. (Harmon) is a guy who has the opportunity to look toward the likes of Cam Hayward and put his hand in that pile and be a significant contributor for years to come."

The buzz about Sanders landing with the Steelers was driven, in part, by Tomlin speaking very highly of him during a pre-draft press conference on Tuesday:

"I think the things that stood out were evident in his video. There's a toughness there that doesn't get talked about enough. There's a competitive spirit there; it doesn't get talked about enough. I know he's very talented and made a lot of plays for his university and his team, but the intangible qualities displayed on tape were impressive to me."

Quarterback is also a need for Pittsburgh, though the team is still waiting for Aaron Rodgers to decide both if he's going to play in 2025 and if he will sign with them.

The Steelers' passing on Sanders in the first round makes it much less likely he will end up with them because they don't pick again until the third round. Their second-round pick was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in the DK Metcalf deal.

Tomlin's assessment that the Steelers needed to improve the defensive line is accurate. One of the big reasons they ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak, including their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, is because they allowed an average of 157.4 rushing yards per game during that stretch.

Adding the 313-pound Harmon who has upside as a pass-rusher and shows good ability to get through blocks on running plays should immediately help solve some of those problems Pittsburgh had down the stretch.

There's still a huge question about what the Steelers are doing at quarterback in 2025, but they felt like the value in the first round was better used on upgrading in the trenches.