The Pittsburgh Steelers know who their starting defensive linemen are — but beyond that trio, depth remains one of the few question marks on an otherwise strong roster. Fortunately, rookie fifth-round pick Yahya Black is already starting to look like a potential answer — and possibly a steal.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo singled him out as a player we may all be talking about after the Steelers’ preseason opener on Saturday.

“Yahya Black. I’ve been writing about him, talking about him for the last week now. Especially since they’ve been in pads. I think he is the best defensive lineman behind the starters,” Fittipaldo said Wednesday via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “He’s a run plugger. He’s gonna help the running game. He gets his hands up in the passing game. I don’t think he’s ever gonna be a guy who gets a lot of sacks or anything like that, but he has been noticeable almost every single day in practice.”

Black has taken advantage of Cam Heyward’s veteran days off throughout camp. They have even put him in with the first-team defense in certain packages at times. Our Alex Kozora noted Black standing out in at least two or three of his training camp diaries, including yesterday’s.

Fifth round rookie Yahya Black has had a nice camp. Received some first team DE reps today. #Steelers

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 5, 2025

The Iowa product is the biggest DL in the room by a wide margin, and he’s already learning to use that size to his advantage with multiple batted passes at the line of scrimmage. Black has also shown the ability to hold up against double teams, which is exactly what 3-4 DL are supposed to be able to do.

Mike Tomlin recently praised Black’s hustle, and he rarely gives out praise to rookies this early in the process. At 336 pounds, it’s encouraging to hear that Black’s motor is running hot, especially in the stifling heat of Latrobe for the last two weeks.

If the Steelers are starting to feel like they hit a home run on first-round DT Derrick Harmon, they have to be happy with the beginnings of their overall DL overhaul so far. Fifth-round picks aren’t usually locks to make the roster, but it’s trending that way for Black.