Ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, fans were ecstatic to see some of the top rookies in action. We were about to get our first look at Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson, and Jack Sawyer in an organized Steelers exhibition game, while Travis Hunter was ready to steal the show by playing both offense and defense. But nobody was talking about getting their first look at Yahya Black.
Black, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was having a strong training camp, but still flying under the radar as he took a backseat to Harmon—the Steelers' first-round pick. However, it only took 10 plays for Black to put his name squarely on the map as a potential draft steal.
On Monday, NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger shared a film breakdown of Black on X. Baldinger was in awe of the big man's preseason debut.
"Need something to wake you up on a Monday morning? Just drop in on Yahya Black, the fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers here. Attacking Anton Harrison and just running down the line and just crushing this running back, [Travis] Ettiene of the Jacksonville Jags," Baldinger said. "Like, there are things about this guy that you go, 'Is he a member of the Steel Curtain?'"
Baldinger went on to praise Black for his hand usage and bend—highlighting half of the 10 snaps he played in this contest.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have found a draft steal in DT Yahya Black
Black isn't talked about nearly as much as the other rookies on the team, but that could soon change. The Iowa product is already catching the attention of the national media, and he's proving that his strong performance in training camp wasn't just a fluke.
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At nearly 6'6'' and 336 pounds with 35''arms, Black possesses an incredibly rare size profile. Now he's putting his stopping power and strength on full display. In the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Black posted a remarkable 82.3 overall PFF grade—the third best among Steelers defenders.
There's a reason he played in the first quarter and only saw 10 snaps: Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers decided they had seen enough from the big man. If he can repeat this performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the preseason, fans are really going to have something to get excited about.