People had high expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie class coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Steelers’ draft headliner was Oregon DL Derrick Harmon. He led all Football Bowl Subdivision interior defensive linemen with 55 quarterback pressures in 2024. Then there were other players like Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson, one of the best running backs in the country in 2024.

But how did the Steelers’ draft class stack up against the rest of the NFL in terms of on-field production in 2025? Not well, actually. Analyst Aaron Schatz has the group 28th in his rookie class rankings for ESPN.

“The surprise for the Steelers is that they didn’t get more out of first-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, who missed six games with various knee injuries,” Schatz wrote. “He ended the regular season with 27 combined tackles and three sacks but should be more of a force in future seasons. Instead, the most valuable Steelers rookies were elsewhere on the defense. Fourth-round outside linebacker Jack Sawyer had 34 tackles, a sack and two interceptions. Fifth-round defensive end Yahya Black had 28 combined tackles and two forced fumbles. Third-round running back Kaleb Johnson had just 28 carries for 69 yards and infamously forgot to field a kickoff, which led to a Seahawks touchdown in Week 2.”

Both Yahya Black and Jack Sawyer made plays in their depth roles as rookies. That’s a good thing for mid-round selections. But the class definitely took a hit due to Derrick Harmon missing time due to injury and Kaleb Johnson barely seeing the field.

Now, there are some things to consider here in terms of just how good the Steelers’ draft class is. Analyst Dane Brugler thought highly of it after the season was over. When he compiled his All-Rookie teams, he mentioned four Steelers. He named Harmon to the second team, while Sawyer, Black, and LB Carson Breuner all earned honorable mentions.

And Schatz himself thinks Harmon’s future is bright. When Derrick Harmon was on the field, good things happened for the Steelers. Opponents averaged less than 100 yards rushing in games that Harmon played. Yet they averaged nearly 200 yards in games that he didn’t. If he stays healthy next season, he’ll make an even bigger impact, regardless of who is the head coach.

There are two wild cards regarding the future standing of the Steelers’ 2025 rookie class, though. One is Kaleb Johnson. He barely saw the field behind fellow running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell in particular was a revelation for the Steelers, especially as a receiving threat. So, there weren’t a ton of opportunities for Johnson. And there was his special-teams gaffe against the Seattle Seahawks that cost the Steelers a touchdown.

We expected big things from Johnson this year, especially after offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s excitement after the Steelers landed him in the third round. But he’s still young, and he will have more opportunities to prove himself.

The second wild card is QB Will Howard. Now, there are usually next to no expectations for a sixth-round quarterback. But when that sixth-round quarterback won a national championship at Ohio State, expectations are a little higher than normal. Unfortunately for Howard, he suffered an injury in training camp that robbed him of plenty of development time this season. Thankfully, Howard spent time learning under QB Aaron Rodgers, who said he wanted to help the rookie out. If that pans out, perhaps Howard can make himself part of the quarterback conversation not only in 2026 but further in the future.

So, while Schatz may not have been hugely impressed by the Steelers’ rookie class production-wise this year, there is hope for its future.

As for the rest of the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns were the highest ranked, coming in second. The Baltimore Ravens also cracked the top 10, coming in ninth. And the Cincinnati Bengals came in 23rd. The New Orleans Saints had the top-ranked rookie class per Schatz.