The Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason is finally over after their victory against the Panthers, and there are plenty of storylines that fans will be following as the regular season begins. Perhaps the most surprising among them is how the defensive line depth chart seems to have taken shape.
The top guys have been known since minicamp, with first-round pick Derrick Harmon joining veterans Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton as starters up front. After those three, it seemed like a combination of free-agent addition Daniel Ekuale, Isaiahh Loudermilk, and one of Logan Lee or fifth-round rookie Yahya Black.
After a strong training camp and solid first two preseason games, however, Black looked like the clear fourth interior defender. If that wasn't already set in stone, his performance against the Panthers ended any doubt of where he will land on the depth chart.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten more than they could have ever hoped from Yahya Black
Black has been praised primarily for his ability to stuff the run this summer, but it's what he did as a pass rusher against the Panthers that turned heads. He had a dominant bull rush for a sack in the third quarter, and immediately followed it up with another powerful rush that led to a sack fumble by quarterback Bryce Perkins.
With Derrick Harmon potentially missing time due to a knee sprain suffered against Carolina, Black's performance offers a glimmer of hope for the Steelers. They were counting on Harmon to add juice to the pass rush this season. That wasn't Black's game coming out of Iowa, but he may have untapped potential in that area based on this showing.
If Harmon does end up missing a chunk of time, Black is the clear choice to join Benton and Heyward as starters. He would likely slide in as one of their base defensive ends, although I would love him to move inside to nose tackle and allow the more explosive Benton to line up there.
No matter how they line up, Black should help boost the Steelers' run defense that failed them during their five-game losing streak to end last season. Hopefully, we get to see both him and Harmon out there this year as the future of the defensive front.