It's the preseason; we don't want to be too quick to jump to conclusions, either good or bad. But some performances in the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars were impossible to ignore. Yahya Black's showing was one of them.
Black, the Steelers' fifth-round pick, was hardly the most anticipated rookie to watch in this contest. Between players like Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson, and Jack Sawyer—and with Travis Hunter on the opposing team—fans had no intent of locking their eyes in on Black.
But it only took 10 snaps for the big defensive lineman to leave his mark.
Black saw action early in the first quarter, where the Iowa product put his outstanding power and two-gapping ability on display. However, the rookie didn't just hold up well at the point of attack during his first preseason game; he also showed some quickness to get pressure on the quarterback and the lateral mobility to move horizontally and chase down the ball-carrier near the line of scrimmage.
Black's performance was good enough to catch the attention of NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, who could help but post a 'Badly's Breakdown' of Black manhandling the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive lineman in Week 1 of the preseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans could be getting an unexpected treat with DT Yahya Black
When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Derrick Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, we knew that the sky was the limit for his potential. The 21-year-old tested as a phenomenal athlete with a rare combination of size and speed, along with the ability to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. But I don't think anyone suspected Black to be the one to steal the show in the preseason opener.
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For his phenomenal efforts early in the game, Black earned an 82.3 overall PFF grade—the third-best among all Steelers defenders. And after just 10 snaps, Mike Tomlin had decided he had seen enough (in the best way possible). Black was pulled from the game, and his night was finished. Who could have seen that coming?
When Pittsburgh selected Black in the fifth round of April's draft, he was considered an on-value selection, not a draft steal. The former Hawkeye lacked elite college production, and NFL talent evaluators weren't convinced he was athletic enough to be an every-down defender in the NFL. But Black is already on a mission to prove doubters wrong.
At 6'6'' and 336 pounds with 35-inch arms, Black has a rare size profile that is accompanied by impressive anchoring strength and enough mobility to make a splash.
It's only one preseason performance, but if he can build on his debut against the Jaguars, fans could be in for a treat with this rookie in 2025.