Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers falling short to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their second preseason matchup of 2025, HC Mike Tomlin was impressed with the Steel City rookies — specifically the team’s top two selections from last April’s draft.
Following the Steelers’ 14-17 preseason loss, Tomlin revealed to reporters which rookies impressed him the most: first-round DE Derrick Harmon and third-round RB Kaleb Johnson.
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“Harmon and Kaleb Johnson really took a step forward off of their first performance,” Tomlin said Saturday’s postgame press conference. “But again, that’s a reasonable thing to expect. Second time stepping into a stadium, you see more of their talents.”
Tomlin hit the nail on the head — as Harmon bullied Buccaneers G Ben Scott on his way to earning his first sack as a Steeler, while Johnson exploded for 59 yards from scrimmage on just 12 touches.
In less than 25 days, Johnson and Harmon will get the opportunity to translate their preseason success into regular-season dominance, when the Steelers kick off their 2025 campaign against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 7 at 1:00 PM EST.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers’ Mike Tomlin names 2 rookies who stood out vs. Buccaneers