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The Steelers get another weapon up front in the first round of the draft: Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added a big body up front in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. With the 21st pick in the first round, they have taken Derrick Harmon, a defensive tackle out of Oregon. Below is a scouting report and everything else you need to know.
Stats & Accolades
- 2021 (Michigan State): Played 4 games before using redshirt (One tackle).
- 2022 (Michigan State): Played in 12 games with five starts (30 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, pass breakup).
- 2023 (Michigan State): Played in 12 games with 10 starts (40 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, pass breakup, forced fumble).
- 2024: Played in 14 games with 13 starts (45 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles). Second-Team Associated Press All-American. Third-Team All-Big Ten.
What the Steelers are getting:
Harmon is an elite combination of size and length on the defensive line standing at 6’4 ½ and 313 pounds to go with 34 ⅜” arms and 10 ⅜” hands. He’s a force at the point of attack, winning with phenomenal game strength to overpower blockers and shorten the corner on guards. Harmon only tested in the 40 at the combine so we cannot exactly quantify his lateral abilities, but the tape shows a guy who simply wins by any means necessary. Harmon soaks up double-teams and likes to utilize an arm-over move to shuck blockers and surprise ball carriers who believed they had an open rush lane. Overall, Harmon will give an NFL team a new presence opponents must account for as he’ll be taking it to the offensive line over and over all game long.
Strengths
- Massive frame to plug gaps and halt double-teams at the point of attack
- Wins with surprising strength to shorten corners against guards and centers
- Great body control to wrangle quarterbacks in the open field
- Just looks like a pain to block down-in and down-out
- Elite length for an interior defender
- Strong hands/punch to keep himself clean when stacking
Weaknesses
- Looked tight-hipped and inflexible during field drills at the NFL Combine
- Tendency to halt foot speed when he doesn’t win pass rush early
- Could refine body composition a bit as he has excess weight around midsection
- Does not possess a finesse aspect of his pass rush tool box
Athletic Testing
- Height: 6’4
- Weight: 313 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.95 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.74 seconds
- Vertical jump: N/A
- Broad jump: N/A
- 3-cone drill: N/A
- Short shuttle: N/A
- Bench Press: N/A