Behind the Steel Curtain
It’s a deep draft class on the defensive line this year. Does Oregon’s Derrick Harmon stand out?
Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
While there are a lot of newsworthy defensive linemen in this year’s draft class, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon has immediately stood out to me as one of the best candidates for the Steelers’ first-round pick.
If you take one word away from this scouting report, make sure it’s “disruptor.”
In the games I watched of Derrick Harmon’s, he was in the backfield a lot. He has a quick first step and good hand usage that led to him consistently darting by his blocker and into the quarterback or running back’s face. He was among the top college defenders in quarterback pressures in 2024, which is impressive for a defensive tackle (No. 55 in all clips — look for the one-leg sleeve).
(At nose tackle here).
While Harmon’s quickness is what stands out first, his power is another strength of his game. There are plenty of instances of him walking offensive linemen back on tape (at nose tackle again).
He also showed he had the strength to make plays against double teams.
Harmon’s power could be a little inconsistent. While this play is actually a good example of him holding the line and then beginning to rush after the flea flicker, it illustrates the point: straight arms and slow feet lead to a standstill, but when Harmon starts the bull rush, he quickly overpowers the left tackle.
While I wouldn’t call Harmon an elite run defender, he has a well-rounded game and all the tools to succeed at the next level.
However, there are some holes in his profile. Harmon’s pad level can get too high and his hands and feet occasionally stall out, leading to him failing to get much movement or going in the wrong direction.
(Blocked by the center and right guard below).
The play above also shows the other major con in Harmon’s game: his tackling. Most defensive linemen have a lot of whiffed sacks on tape — that’s just life when you’re chasing someone smaller and faster. But Harmon had a high number of missed tackles in 2024, even on plays when you’d expect him to corral the runner.
Still, there are some instances of him deftly navigating traffic to make the stop. He has the ability.
While Harmon isn’t the perfect prospect, he has a high floor with his tools but a lot of potential. It’s also worth noting that he played all over the Ducks’ defensive...
