Author: Nikhil Mehta

NFL front offices expected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon to go in the first round of next week’s draft, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.

Michigan’s Mason Graham is widely considered the draft’s top DT, but there’s no clear No. 2 behind him. That could be Harmon, who has earned praise for his schematic versatility as a run defender and a pass rusher.

“He fits whatever defense you want to run if you know what you’re doing,” said one evaluator (via La Canfora), who listed the Steelers and the Ravens as fits for Harmon’s physical, disruptive play style. Harmon is on Pittsburgh’s list of first-round targets, and he’s frequently been mocked to Baltimore in the last two months. Both AFC North squads are returning two of their starting defensive linemen, but each lost a key veteran this offseason.

The Steelers will have Cameron Heyward for a 15th consecutive year alongside 2023 second-rounder Keeanu Benton, who has played better than his limited production would suggest. Pittsburgh moved on from Larry Ogunjobi in March and didn’t add replacement-level talent in free agency. Harmon would be an instant member of the Steelers’ starting DL rotation and could potentially take over for the soon-to-be 36-year-old Heyward in the long term.

The Ravens have Nnamdi Madubuike locked down through 2027, but 2022 third-rounder Travis Jones is entering a contract year and Broderick Washington could be a cap casualty after the 2025 season. Veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce retired in March as well, making defensive line a short- and long-term need for the Ravens in the draft.

Harmon making it to Pittsburgh at no. 21 or Baltimore at no. 27 feels unlikely at this point with a number of other teams, including the division-rival Bengals, looking to add a premier defensive linemen earlier in the first round.

The Steelers have a first-round grade on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though that does not mean they’ll prioritize the position over other needs in next week’s draft.

Instead, Dulac writes, Pittsburgh will likely target a defensive lineman or even a running back with their first-round pick. Both positions have projected top-10 picks (Michigan’s Mason Graham, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) who are not expected to fall to the Steelers with multiple second-tier talents that should be available at No. 21.

The team’s defensive line targets include Georgia’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, per Dulac. At running back, Pittsburgh could target North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, though they may wait until Day 2 to pick from a deep class.

Pittsburgh used 17 of their top-30 pre-draft visits on defensive linemen and running backs, another indication that their first-round pick will target one of the two positions.

The Steelers’ top brass also did their homework on this year’s quarterback class. They have a first-round grade on Dart and “really like” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Dulac, making both potential options with the 21st round pick if the talent at DL and RB thins out. The team also scouted a number of Day 2 quarterbacks via pro days and top-30 visits.

Ultimately, though, it’s hard to believe that the Steelers would pass up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback after cycling through a half-dozen starters since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They may still sign Aaron Rodgers to start this year, but they have no long-term options on the roster and a clear desire to add one. It would be strange to have first-round grades on Dart and potentially Sanders but prioritize other positions when quarterback is such a dire need in 2025 and beyond.