The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to simultaneously contend and build for the future in 2026.<\/p>\n
They want to contend for the AFC North and make noise in the playoffs. That\u2019s why they brought back QB Aaron Rodgers. They also want to lay the groundwork for the future. That\u2019s why they hired new head coach Mike McCarthy.<\/p>\n
To help them do both things, the Steelers need young players to step up and make a big impact this year. One such player? DL Derrick Harmon.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s 21st-overall pick, Harmon had a good start to his NFL career despite missing game action due to injury. Beat writer Mark Kaboly is expecting big things from him this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Derrick Harmon\u2019s gonna have a monster year,\u201d Kaboly said Friday on 93.7 The Fan\u2019s The PM Team<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s the year he jumps and becomes maybe an 8-to-10-sack guy.\u201d<\/p>\n That would be a big jump for Harmon. In 12 games last year, he had three sacks. However, he generated pressure well, recording 22 pressures over those 12 regular-season games. That was 54th out of 134 qualifying defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus. After all, this was a defensive lineman who led Fall FBS interior defensive linemen in quarterback pressures in his final year at Oregon.<\/p>\n Yet Derrick Harmon needs to get better as a pass rusher. Our very own Alex Kozora broke down what he needs to do<\/a> in order to get better. Perhaps new defensive line coach Domata Peko can unlock that heading into this year.<\/p>\n For the record, Kozora thinks that five sacks is a reasonable goal for Harmon in his sophomore season.<\/p>\n Kaboly believes Harmon is primed for a breakout season, though. He\u2019s not alone in that, either. Analyst Sam Monson predicted Harmon as the Steelers\u2019 breakout player for 2026<\/a>, saying he could be a \u201creal impact playmaker.\u201d<\/p>\n The talent is certainly there. Plus, Harmon already has one advantage for keeping him on the field: He\u2019s already a quality run defender.<\/p>\n