Steelers Now
To say the least, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black had a standout performance in Thursday night’s 19-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. The Steelers could have an absolute steal on their hands.
The No. 164 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft recorded five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus tabbed him with a 91.9 overall grade, 90.4 pass rush grade, 20% win rate and 90.4 pass rush grade.
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger raved about Black in a film breakdown on X.
“Here is on a cocked nose. I didn’t know anybody even taught the cocked nose anymore. Look at him hold the point, strong at the point. And then one he gets to the ball carrier, they always go backwards. The cocked nose is coming back. Joe Greene is smiling like that’s how you play football in Pittsburgh,” Baldinger said.
The cocked nose was made popular by Steelers legend Joe Greene in the 1970s. Using Black in that technique is a new wrinkle for the Steelers defense.
After bringing down Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins for an eight-yard setback on a 2nd-and-9, Black let out his stomach from a No. 78 practice jersey a size or two too small for him and rubbed it.
“How about back-to-back sacks for Black. Coming right here. Here is in a seven technique. Back-to-back sacks for Black. Yahya Black, he is everywhere,” Baldinger said.
Black has already come a long way in his football career. He reportedly arrived to Iowa at just 250 pounds but put a ton of work into his strength training and now stands at 6-foot-6, 336 pounds.
The 23-year-old has continued to make strides throughout the summer, too.
“We like Yahya’s progress,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said on Monday. “As you guys know, he is not a little man. When he really learns how to use all the tools at his disposal, he’s going to be a load inside.”
Black is no stranger to putting in the work to see results. He did just that with the Hawkeyes, racking up 117 tackles (51 solo), 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine passes defensed over the past five years.
That’s why he isn’t surprised about his breakout performance in Carolina and plans to continue building with the start to the regular season right around the corner.
“Just growing and getting better,” Black said. “Come in every day and try to work on your skillset.”
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Charlotte.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Top Analyst Raves about Steelers Rookie Yahya Black: ‘He’s Everywhere’
