The Pittsburgh Steelers officially selected DL Derrick Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In doing so, they addressed the defensive line in the first round for just the first time since 2011. That year, the Steelers selected Cameron Heyward, who is still making the All-Pro List. One can only hope Harmon has such a career, but at least from the start, he will learn from the best.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that the Steelers had a top defensive line with Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave. Tuitt was a second-round selection in 2014, Hargrave a third-round selection in 2016. After Hargrave left in free agency, they still had Tyson Alualu to step in. But since then, they have largely left Heyward to pick up the slack, before the Steelers drafted Harmon.

Given their current predicament, they will likely expect a lot from the rookie early on. The Steelers released starter Larry Ogunjobi this offseason, but did not sign a replacement, so Derrick Harmon is it. The move should also leave Benton in at nose tackle when they play in a 3-4 front.

As the Steelers said last night, they got the guy they wanted in Harmon. In the future, they hope he is their stud defensive lineman after Heyward retires. But for now, he needs to be Heyward’s support. And he needs to learn, because who knows how many more years Heyward will play?

Since the selection of Heyward in 2011, before drafting Derrick Harmon, the Steelers only used four top-three picks on defensive linemen. In addition to the aforementioned Tuitt (second) and Hargrave (third), they have used Day 2 picks on DeMarvin Leal (third) and Benton (second). While they still have Leal and Benton, the latter isn’t guaranteed to make the roster. Benton is going into his third season, but they would love to see him make a solid jump.

Of course, arguably the team’s best-ever 3-4 defensive front consisted of only one high draft pick. They used their first-rounder on NT Casey Hampton in 2001, but Aaron Smith was a fourth-round pick and Brett Keisel was a seventh-round pick. Times have changed, and high-pedigree talent is more necessary in today’s game, but the point is, it’s not always about draft positioning. In 2025, the Steelers with Heyward, Harmon, and Benton figure to start a front with two first-rounders and one second.

This was a move not just for the present but also the future. The Steelers believe Derrick Harmon is a guy who can be in the organization for a decade, and they better hope so. They also better hope their recent track record with defensive linemen in later rounds doesn’t apply to earlier draft picks.

With Harmon in tow, the Steelers now have a very crowded defensive line room. Heyward, Benton, and Harmon are arguably the only stone-cold locks, with Montravius Adams and Daniel Ekuale the potential top reserves. Then there are Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, Logan Lee, and Esezi Otomeweo battling for one or two more spots.