PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The first sack of the 2025 season, well preseason, to the guy the Steelers brought in to impact their defensive line. Mike Tomlin said Derrick Harmon 'really took a step forward'. Where the rookie is trying to improve.
Harmon would finish with three tackles including that 11-yard sack against Tampa Bay quarterback Kyle Trask Saturday night. Harmon led the nation last year at Oregon in getting pressure on the quarterback, what his impact is might not show up in traditional stats.
His focus is to play consistent, remain consistent while staying within the defense. It can be challenging, especially for a young player who might be trying to show he belongs at this level. It's also hard to see the results in a practice setting where you are mostly working in shorts or when you do have pads on, it's only a couple of handfuls of reps.
"Week one was kind of rough for me," Harmon said after the game Saturday. "I took a big - not a big jump, but just more trusted my ability in the second game."
And used his long arms and what he called his 4x hands (measure 10 3/8") to get off blocks. Harmon said there is a lot of work to do before the season opens in New York. He is embracing the challenge as an individual and with his teammates. A strong relationship is growing between Harmon and third-year defensive lineman Keeanu Benton. They are 'vibing' not only with questions and challenges on the field, but also off of it. He's also learning from the Steelers captain, even if he's dealing with his own situation.
"Just trying to get better every week," Harmon said. "Something Cam (Heyward) said, don't make the same mistakes this week. Just get better. Make new mistakes and things like that. So like Coach T always says, make new mistakes. Don't make the same mistakes. So that's what we going to do."
Heyward is one of the best defensive linemen in Steelers history, but in his first two NFL seasons, he didn't start one game. Harmon was counted on as a starter from the moment his name was announced as the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Is there pressure that comes with that?
"Yeah, most definitely," Harmon said. "Being a first rounder, being a starter as a rookie, yeah, but feel like pressure make diamonds so that's how I look at it."
Steelers have been hunting for gems only to be mostly disappointed in free agency and the draft. They are counting on Harmon to make an impact.
