ESPN Analyst Makes Case For Steelers Rookie DT Derrick Harmon to Win DROY

ESPN analytics analyst Seth Walder makes his case for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon to win DROY.

ESPN analytics analyst Seth Walder predicted Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon will win the 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He recently explained his reasoning for his choice.

“I don’t do a lot of prospect evaluating, but I do look at pass rushing and have created a sack-rate forecast model that predicts sacks numbers for the first few seasons of a player’s career. It uses data – taking into account things like their college pressure and pass rush win-rates, quality of school they went to and played against, combine information,” Walder said via Steelers Takeaways. “Harmon graded strongly – he was sixth in his class. As a defensive tackle, getting sacks is more impressive than someone who gets the same number of sacks as an edge rusher, and the DROY awards pass rushers, mostly. And playing next to [Cameron] Heyward, [T.J.] Watt, [Nick] Herbig and [Alex] Highsmith should give him some good chances to get sacks.”

The Steelers selected Harmon in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft after he established himself as one of the best prospects in the class.

In 2024, Harmon recorded 45 tackles, five sacks and a pair of forced and recovered fumbles at Oregon.

Prior to Harmon’s breakout 2024 campaign with the Ducks, he spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Michigan State. There he racked up another 69 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two passes defensed.

Many believe Harmon would have been a top 10 pick if it weren’t for injury concerns surrounding his shoulder. His MRI at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine pushed him down draft boards as it showed a partially torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum.

However, he and the Steelers have consistently dismissed any worries regarding the issue since.

“Nothing’s wrong with my shoulder,” Harmon said. “I’m 100 percent healthy, ready to go.”

In his three seasons of college football, Harmon did not miss a single game due to injury. He played 38 games.

If Harmon can stay healthy and translate his play to the next level, he will surely have a good opportunity to earn some hardware by the end of his rookie season.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: ESPN Analyst Makes Case For Steelers Rookie DT Derrick Harmon to Win DROY