The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a state where they are trying to be competitive in the AFC, and that is incredibly difficult to do considering the other dominant teams in the conference. In order to be a true contender, it is important to get some impactful contributions from rookies, and the Steelers missed that during the 2024 season. First-year players like Zach Frazier and Payton Wilson played great, but the rookie class as a whole struggled with the injury bug. Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson nearly missed the entire season, while Logan Lee and Ryan Watts spent the entire year on Injured Reserve.
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Steelers' Troy Fautanu looks on before an away game in Denver ahead of his NFL debut in the 2024 season.
All of those rookies should be able to make an impact during their second seasons in 2025, and hopefully the organization can draft some impact players who can stay on the field. The rookie with the most injury concerns going into 2024 was Payton Wilson as he does not have an ACL in one of his knees, but he was the only drafted rookie that was able to be on the field in every game. This may force the Steelers to be a bit more diligent in testing the medicals of certain prospects, but one of the players the organization has its eye on this year may be facing some medical concerns.
I don’t think it’s gonna be Harmon. There’s some medical there.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) April 18, 2025
Benjamin Allbright is a well-respected NFL insider, who focuses primarily on the Denver Broncos. Denver has the pick before Pittsburgh, and he was asked recently if the Broncos might pick defensive tackle Derrick Harmon out of Oregon. He said they might not be interested because of some medical concerns, and he retweeted this response days later as well.
Harmon has been mocked to the Steelers a ton with the 21st overall pick, and whatever his medical issues are should be concerning for fans. It is unclear what the exact medical concerns are, but they could force Harmon to slide down some draft boards. Pittsburgh is likely doing its due diligence with every prospect, but they have not shied away from players with medical issues in the past.
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Former University of Oregon defensive Tackle Derrick Harmon bursts off the line of scrimmage and evades a University of Illinois offensive lineman during a collegiate football contest.
The Steelers cannot afford to try to be competitive while also spending another premium pick on a player who could miss significant time immediately. It wouldn't be a smart move if the organization actually wants to go on a successful playoff run to try and invest in a prospect with injury concerns.
There are plenty of other defensive tackle prospects that Pittsburgh could consider with the 21st overall pick. This includes Walter Nolen, or a bigger prospect like Kenneth Grant. Either way, there should be some urgency with how the Steelers upgrade and improve the defensive line.
Steelers Could Be Smarter About Selecting Derrick Harmon
If the Steelers are set on picking Harmon despite the injury concerns, it might be wise to consider trading back to try and recoup some draft capital. The medical issues will make other teams pass on Harmon as well, which opens the door for a trade back, which can help the Steelers replenish the pick they lost when trading for DK Metcalf.
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Steelers' DK Metcalf during his time with the Seahawks.
Possible trade-back candidates could include teams like the Kansas City Chiefs or Houston Texans. Both of those teams are desperate for some help along the offensive line, especially at the tackle spots. The last of the top-tier tackles will likely be on the board at this time, which could force either organization to get desperate and try to move up to 21. This could be the best possible outcome for the Steelers in the first round, aside from landing a potential franchise quarterback.
What do you think about Harmon's medical concerns? Would you still pick him? Let us know in the comments below!
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