Derrick Harmon made it known that the Pittsburgh Steelers were interested in him during the pre-draft process. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan even went as far as to say that they were going to draft him if he were available at pick 21 in the first round. But that didn't stop Harmon from believing this franchise was going to go in a different direction with their top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Harmon recently joined Cam Heyward on his Not Just Football Podcast to discuss a range of topics. When Heyward asked Harmon if he thought the Steelers were going to take him, he said no. He thought Pittsburgh was going to be all in for a quarterback.
"No, I thought y'all were going to come quarterback first," Harmon explained on Not Just Football. "I did, I did. I kept seeing it. So once I seen [the pick] I was surprised, but I was happy, because I came on my 30 visit, and Coach [Tomlin] and Omar [Khan], they was just nothing but love and showing nothing but love to me, and telling me, like, 'If you there, we going to get you,' but you never know how the draft will go, because the draft can go either way."
For those who followed the team closely, it looked like quarterback was in contention with their first-round pick. The Steelers showed pre-draft interest in players like Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, and Jalen Milroe, and we wouldn't have been shocked if any of those QBs had been the selection in Round 1. But taking Derrick Harmon just made too much sense.
Harmon can be thankful the Steelers passed on a quarterback early in the draft, and he just landed in the perfect position.
Derrick Harmon landed in a dream situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers
It's extremely unlikely that the quarterback of the future is on the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster. We knew this team wasn't going to be able to land Derrick Harmon and their franchise quarterback in the same draft, and considering the lackluster strength of the QB position in the 2025 draft class, most fans are thrilled with the Harmon selection.
The first-round pick couldn't have landed in a better spot. Early in his career, Harmon will work alongside one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL over the past decade. Cam Heyward has already begun showing Harmon the ropes—as evidenced by their conversation on the Not Just Football Podcast—and Harmon is only going to continue to learn and grow.
Harmon will now be plugged into the Steelers' defensive front that on base downs includes Heyward, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Keenau Benton. If defensive coordinator Teryl Austin chooses to plug him in for the recently departed Larry Ogunjobi at left defensive end in their base defense, Harmon will be sandwiched between Watt and Benton. Talk about alleviating some early pressure from the rookie.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich history of interior defenders who have had long, productive NFL careers. He might not have known the front office was going this direction at pick 21 in the NFL Draft, but he can be thankful he landed a golden opportunity to succeed in the Steel City.