Mike Tomlin: ‘You don’t have a chance to fill a quality defense unless you’re stout up front’
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan didn’t need to say much when explaining why he chose to draft defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft instead of anyone else, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who still remains undrafted entering Day 2.
“We were on the clock,” Khan said. “We got the player that we wanted.”
Yes, it was really that simple.
Pittsburgh’s brass liked Sanders before their pre-draft meeting with him, and that meeting only reinforced those good feelings. Yet at the end of the day, the Steelers felt that they couldn’t pass up the chance to draft Harmon, one of the draft’s top-ranked interior defensive-line prospects.
“I think the other day when we met, we talked about certain guys that we would not trade away from, and this was one of those players for us,” Khan said. “The phone was ringing and we had some serious conversations [about trading back], but at the end of the day, once Derrick was still there we were excited and it was an easy choice for us.”
In head coach Mike Tomlin’s words, there was “extreme urgency” to acquire a young, talented defensive lineman whom they hope will eventually take the baton from seven-time Pro Bowler Cameron Heyward.
“There’s no substitute for young talent,” Tomlin said. “You don’t have a chance to fill a quality defense unless you’re stout up front. This is a guy that has the opportunity to look for the likes of Cam Hayward and put his hands in that pile and be a significant contributor for years to come.”
If Harmon had already been drafted, it’s certainly possible that the Steelers could have used the pick to draft Sanders given their uncertain quarterback situation (they have Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson while Aaron Rodgers remains unsigned as of this writing). But it’s clear, based on what they ultimately decided to do, that Pittsburgh was more focused on acquiring a stabilizing force on the defensive line that it hopes can make an immediate impact in 2025.
“You don’t have a chance to have a top-notch defense unless you’re smashing the run and getting after the quarterback,” Tomlin said, “and this is a guy whose résumé says he’s capable of contributing in both areas.”
