With Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft officially in the record books, it seems only fitting to grade the Pittsburgh Steelers on their first-round selection of Oregon DT Derrick Harmon.
One aspect to consider in the pre-draft process was the Steelers’ love for both Harmon and Walter Nolen — with one insider even describing the situation as a possible “coin flip” when it came time for Pittsburgh to choose between them. Nolen would ultimately be selected by the Cardinals at pick No. 16, giving the Steelers their easiest decision of the night.
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Harmon’s reported shoulder injury was clearly a non-concern for the Steelers, and outside of his selection at Pick No. 21, it’s hard to imagine any other player being worthy of the pick — as Shedeur Sanders’ tumble into Day 3 of the draft proves other teams weren’t nearly as high on him either.
With that in mind, it’s only fitting to give the Steelers an A grade for addressing their biggest defensive need with a top-five DT in one of the best defensive line classes in recent memory.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Grading Steelers’ Day 1 selection of Derrick Harmon