In what turned out to be one of the least predictable pre-draft processes for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the final selection should have come as no surprise to the team. They grabbed Derrick Harmon at pick 21 with the hopes that he can aid this struggling franchise.
While Harmon himself isn’t a surprise, the team had links to him all offseason, but the board had some intriguing names on the board. Quarterback was sitting there for the taking there with both Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart available. The only running back off the board was Ashton Jeanty. Even Matthew Golden was available at the pick
The options were endless for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers want to build the right way
It seems like Pittsburgh’s intentions are clear though: we want to build through the trenches. Since Omar Khan took over, all three first round picks have gone to either lines. Add in three more offensive linemen and a defensive lineman and the goal is to bully other teams into submission.
This is finally the right strategy. We aren’t putting the cart before the horse, and dominating up front is key to win games.
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Harmon himself is a great fit for this defense. He is built in the mold of what this team desires their ends to have with great length and bulk.
I do have questions about his ceiling, as I’m not sure he ends up being a truly top-level talent. That said, he has a great teacher in Cameron Heyward to learn from. He can fills a major need though, and you can’t help but like how this team is building its roster.
Only time will tell of the Steelers got this pick right. They filled a need, but there is still a long road to determining if this was the right pick. For a team with a shaky recent history of first-round picks, we can only hope this one pans out.