Steelers Now
A NFL analyst doesn’t fully believe in one of the Pittsburgh Steelers often-predicted breakout candidates.
Pittsburgh Steelers second-year defensive lineman Derrick Harmon has been tabbed a breakout candidate several times this offseason, but it turns out, not everyone is so sold on that happening.
NFL analyst Steve Palazzolo of The 33rd Team recently expressed his concerns with the former No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“23 total pressures on 304 pass rushes. That’s okay. I think it was an okay rookie season for Derrick Harmon, and I think Steelers fans were pretty happy with him overall, but saw some issues there, run game and pass rush effectiveness,” Palazzolo said on his Check The Mic Podcast. “Harmon, Mason Graham, you could make the case all a little bit below maybe what we expected. They all underwhelmed just a little bit compared to expectation.”
Harmon may not have had the rookie season he and the Steelers likely imagined, playing in just 12 games and missing five due to two knee injuries.
However, it was pretty clear the impact Harmon had on the Steelers defense when he was on the field, recording 27 tackles, three sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed.
That is why many believe Harmon is primed to take his game to another level in 2026, especially because it is likely that he was never fully healthy at any point of his rookie campaign.
Harmon knows actions speak louder than words, though, and is doing everything he can this offseason to prove his supporters right and doubters wrong.
“Just the little details of things, man,” Harmon said. “This league, you’ve gotta really be on your details and Ps and Qs. Everybody’s a good athlete in this league.”
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Harmon played college football at Michigan State (2021-23) and Oregon (2024), where he racked up 114 tackles (51 solo), 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and four passes defensed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Analyst Pumps Breaks on Steelers Breakout Candidate
