Who is Derrick Harmon?
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with their first round pick, 21st overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Who is Derrick Harmon?
Harmon was born on August 3, 2003, in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Loyola High School and was a three-star recruit.
He committed to play college football for the Michigan State Spartans over offers from Memphis, Ole Miss, and Purdue.
As a freshman at Michigan State, Harmon played in four games to preserve his redshirt. In 2022, he played in 12 games making five starts, and collected 30 tackles and two sacks.
In 2023, Harmon tallied 40 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. After the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal, but eventually withdrew his name. However, he would re-enter the portal and sign with the Oregon Ducks on May 3, 2024.
He started 14 games at Oregon and was named to the second-team All-Big Ten team by the media and received second-team AP All-American honors. Harmon finished the season with 45 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and five sacks.
On January 6, 2025, Harmon declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
DT- Derrick Harmon, Oregon
6’4 ½” 313 lbs
Arms- 34 ⅜”
Hand- 10 ⅜”
40 yard dash- 4.95
10-yard split- 1.74 seconds
Strengths
Versatility to play up and down the line
Strong hands, sheds block well
Nasty bull rush who does not quit..plays with an edge
Cerebral player who understands blocking schemes
Length and upper body strength are elite
Weaknesses
Can play too upright at times leading to leverage problems
Can be overaggressive when chasing the football, especially chasing the quarterback.
Just a north/south pass rusher, needs to find some counter moves and other weapons to rush quarterback
Can play tight at times
Personal
Harmon’s mother, Tiffany Saine, suffered a stroke during his freshman season. She was on life support when Harmon was selected by the Steelers, and passed away shortly after he came to the hospital to tell her the great news.
What do the Steelers get?
Derrick Harmon adds a dominating interior lineman who should team up with Keeanu Benton for several seasons. This was an area of need, especially with the age of longtime defensive end Cam Heyward.
Welcome to Pittsburgh Derrick Harmon!
(photo courtesy of Bleacher Report)