When the Pittsburgh Steelers brought in general manager Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, they were serious about rebuilding the trenches. And they didn't mess around. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded back in Round 5 for an additional pick, and with the 164th selection, they took Iowa defensive tackle Yahya Black.
At 6'5 3/4'' and 336 pounds with 35'' arms, Black had one of the biggest frames at the position in the NFL Draft. This was the second interior defender the Steelers drafted, as they punched their first-round ticket for Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall pick.
Black isn't the quickest or the fastest defensive lineman. He ran just a 5.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. But he's not going to specialize in getting quick pressure on the quarterback in the NFL. Black was drafted to be a space-eating run defender who can two-gap and hold up at the point of attack.
The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to invest in trenches in the NFL Draft under Omar Khan
The Steelers were killed on the ground late in the 2024 season and into the playoffs. Pittsburgh allowed 299 rushing yards in the Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and this left a sour taste in the mouth of the front office. Now Steelers fans get the run-stuffing defensive tackle they've been begging for.
Yahya Black becomes just one of a handful of trench players Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have taken in their first three NFL Drafts running the Pittsburgh Steelers front office. In 2023, Khan selected offensive tackle Broderick Jones and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton with his first two picks in the draft. Last year, the Steelers spent back-to-back selections on tackle Troy Fautanu and center Zach Frazier.
Now we've already seen the Steelers take two defensive tackles in the 2024 NFL Draft. This is a wise play for the makeup of the team.
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers had an aging Cameron Heyward and a young Keeanu Benton without much else to look forward to on the interior defensive line. But just like that, Pittsburgh has added Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black to the mix. Harmon will obviously have a big role as a rookie (assuming the shoulder issue isn't a problem), while Black will look to make the final roster as a rotational depth option.
Black was a five-year player at Iowa. As a redshirt senior, he recorded seven tackles for a loss and just one sack in 13 games. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will have a very specific role in mind for Black. We'll have to see if double-dipping on defensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft pays off.