Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black has turned heads at training camp, and he also caught the attention of NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger in Saturday night’s preseason win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Black only played 10 snaps, but he made a noticeable impact.
“Need something to wake you up on a Monday morning? Just drop in and (watch) Yahya Black,” Baldinger said. “The fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers here, attacking (Jaguars right tackle) Anton Harrison and just running down the line and crushing this running back, [Travis] Etienne of the Jacksonville Jags. Like, there’s things about this guy that you go is he a member of the Steel Curtain? Like you watch straight power, just grabbing elbows, wrists and hands and pushing the guard into the lap of the quarterback play after play.
“He only played 10 plays, I’m just showing you five of them right here. Watch this pull and jerk right here, and then watch the bend. The big man. Look at him bend. You think any quarterback wants to see him coming? He’s coming, though. This is the steal of the fifth round right here. You can tell already.”
.@steelers @Yblack74 is a Big Man who moves big bodies . Natural John Deere Power….JDP for short. #herewego #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/hF0wy9adW1
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 11, 2025
The Steelers are hoping they landed several impact players in the 2025 NFL Draft. Luckily, that already is looking to be the case Black.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan couldn’t help but praise Black, their fifth-round pick, following the first couple weeks of training camp.
“He’s great. He’s been what we expect him to be,” Khan said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think he’s only gonna get better. We feel fortunate that he was still there in the fifth round, and it was easy when we were on the clock.”
Black stands at a massive, 6-foot-6, 336 pounds and proved to be a difference maker over the past five years at Iowa, recording 117 tackles (51 solo), 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine passes defended.
Black wants to prove he’s more than just big, though.
“There’s always big guys everywhere,” Black said during rookie minicamp. “There’s a lot of things out there that they’re trying to teach us, and sometimes you just have to take it one thing at a time to really try to take everything in.”
That’s exactly what Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has seen thus far.
“I’ve been really impressed by his ability to chase the ball on screens and stuff being 336 pounds,” Tomlin said last week. “Just his mindset regarding hustling is encouraging for a man that big. And so, part of it is the grocery shopping, but now it’s time to cook.”
So far, Black has been a pleasant surprise for the Black and Gold.
Aaron Becker contributed reporting for this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Rookie Receives Ringing Endorsement from Top Analyst
