{"id":268103,"date":"2025-08-07T04:21:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T04:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/268103\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T04:21:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T04:21:10","slug":"steelers-coaching-staff-cant-hide-the-fact-anymore-that-they-truly-feel-theyve-hit-a-home-run-with-their-rookie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/268103\/","title":{"rendered":"Steelers\u2019 Coaching Staff Can’t Hide The Fact Anymore That They Truly Feel They\u2019ve Hit A Home Run With Their Rookie"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0<\/a>gave up 299 rushing yards to their arch-nemesis, the Baltimore Ravens, in the Wild Card Round\u00a0of the 2024 playoffs. Slowing down Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson was never going to be easy, but Pittsburgh\u2019s defense was gashed from start to finish. It was an embarrassing showing that made it clear major changes were needed. The Steelers immediately began planning how to fix the issue heading into the offseason.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers'<\/p>\n

Perry Knotts \/ Associated Press<\/p>\n

The Pittsburgh Steelers select DL Derrick Harmon out of the University of Oregon with the 21st choice in the 2025 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

With the 21st overall pick<\/a> in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, a physical and explosive presence up front. Harmon was brought in to restore toughness, speed, and discipline to the heart of Pittsburgh\u2019s defense. Since his arrival, he has quickly impressed the coaching staff throughout training camp and other offseason activities, showing signs that he could be exactly what the Steelers need.<\/p>\n

Steelers insider reports have added even more excitement around the rookie. During an appearance on WDVE 102.5<\/a> on Wednesday morning, one insider named Gerry Dulac spoke about how impactful Harmon has been, both on the field and in the locker room. The Steelers were humiliated in their playoff loss to Baltimore, but with Harmon in the fold, they believe they\u2019re on track to make sure it doesn\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n

“I’ll tell you who’s buzzing about it quietly and internally, are those coaches,” Dulac said. “They love this guy. [From] what they have seen, they’re thinking this pick is a home run. Now, we’ll see how it plays out, but [from] what they’ve seen so far, they think he’s terrific, and gonna be terrific.”<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just coaches who are noticing Harmon\u2019s impact either. Teammates have been raving about the way he\u2019s carrying himself, especially for a rookie walking into a veteran-heavy locker room. He\u2019s been described as humble, but intense. Quiet, but physical. It\u2019s that mix of work ethic and natural ability that has people around the team believing the Steelers might\u2019ve nailed this pick.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers<\/p>\n

USA Today Sports<\/p>\n

Former Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.<\/p>\n

Harmon\u2019s explosiveness off the line has stood out in nearly every practice session. He\u2019s consistently disrupting plays in the backfield, and he\u2019s already shown he can hold his own against the Steelers\u2019 top offensive linemen. Harmon is going to be called on as a rookie to be a starter right away. It’s not an easy task for any rookie but the Steelers are just that confident in his skills.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s also impressive is how fast he\u2019s picked up the playbook. For a position that demands a lot of mental processing, especially in the Steelers\u2019 complex scheme, Harmon hasn\u2019t looked overwhelmed. In fact, he\u2019s been praised for asking the right questions, staying late in meetings, and learning from guys like Cam Heyward<\/a> and Keeanu Benton<\/a>. He\u2019s clearly not just relying on his physical tools.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s still early, and everything changes when the pads come on in real games. But if training camp is any indication, the Steelers\u2019 front office may have landed a game-changer in Harmon. And after that nightmare in Baltimore, they\u2019ll take all the help they can get.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steelers\u2019 Defense Expected To Be Elite<\/p>\n

The Steelers defense is expected<\/a> to be one of the NFL\u2019s best in 2025. But if they want to be the best, Harmon\u2019s impact will be key. Lining up next to Benton and Heyward, he could help anchor a dominant front.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers<\/p>\n

Sebastian Foltz \/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/p>\n

Steelers rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon runs through drills as the team practices during 2025 mandatory minicamp at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.<\/p>\n

For that to happen, Harmon will need to play at a high level as a rookie. That\u2019s a big task, but the coaching staff believes he\u2019s more than capable. He\u2019s shown the strength, quickness, and awareness they were hoping for. The Steelers didn\u2019t draft him to sit. They want him to contribute now. If Harmon does that, this defense should be in very good hands for the 2025 season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0gave up 299 rushing yards to their arch-nemesis, the Baltimore Ravens, in the Wild Card Round\u00a0of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268104,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2026],"tags":[117,344,340,292,198,7,2394,6600,1255,6,12744,57,426,2395,691,52271],"class_list":{"0":"post-268103","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-baltimore-ravens","9":"tag-cam-heyward","10":"tag-derrick-harmon","11":"tag-derrick-henry","12":"tag-featured","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-forum","15":"tag-gerry-dulac","16":"tag-mike-tomlin","17":"tag-nfl","18":"tag-pittsburgh-post-gazette","19":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","20":"tag-steelers","21":"tag-steelers-news","22":"tag-trending","23":"tag-wvde-morning-show"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114985571738545486","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}