The Steelers have always been at their best when the big boys up front set the tone. Their message during the 2025 NFL Draft was clear: we’re getting back to our roots. Pittsburgh’s decision to trade down with the Kansas City Chiefs, moving pick No. 156 for picks No. 164 and No. 226, wasn’t smart—it was vintage Steelers strategy. And the prize for that move?
Yahya Black from Iowa, an anchor in the middle.
Let me tell you, I loved this pick.
Yahya Black plays like a guy accustomed to eating double teams for breakfast. He’s got that thick, immovable frame you want at the nose tackle spot, and he brings five years of experience from one of the most disciplined programs in the country.
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Iowa linemen don’t come into the NFL unprepared. Black knows how to grind, and more importantly, he listens. With a mentor like Cam Heyward still on the roster, we’re looking at a player who could develop into something truly special as a run defender.
What I appreciate most is that this pick didn’t come out of desperation. It was thoughtful. We’d already grabbed Derrick Harmon from Oregon earlier in the draft—a flashy, explosive player with star potential.
Yahya Black and Derrick Harmon are perfect fits for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Harmon is the guy who’ll light up highlight reels, while Black is the workhorse who does the dirty work. Together, they’re a perfect complement. One disrupts, and the other absorbs. One flashes while the other holds the line.
The Steelers haven’t just added bodies—they’ve added purpose to the defensive line.
This pairing of Harmon and Black could quietly become the core of the next great Steelers front. They bring youth, power, and a little nastiness. This is what Pittsburgh football is supposed to be about.
I believe they’ll carry forward the dominant legacy of defensive line play that defined this franchise through its most successful eras.
The Steelers invested in tradition. If things work out, Black and Harmon will be wrecking offensive game plans in the AFC North for years.