Steelers' Practice Ends With Crazy Sentence Nobody Expected To Hear About Yahya Black

All Pittsburgh Steelers fans’ attention in the 2025 NFL Draft went to first-round pick Derrick Harmon, and rightfully so. Harmon proved in the 2025 season that he should be a cornerstone player on the defensive line for the foreseeable future. He is an exciting player who, as a rookie, showed several moments of strong play. Some would even call them flashes of brilliance at times, but durability concerns still linger around him as he has a telling injury history. Still, if Harmon can stay healthy, he projects as a major piece on this defensive front. What went under the radar at first, however, was the fifth-round pick Yahya Black.

Defensive line coach Domata Peko is reportedly very excited about getting to work with this unit. There are even rumblings that this could be the deepest defensive line of Mike McCarthy’s head coaching career, a strong statement considering some of the dominant defensive fronts he has overseen over 18 seasons. After the Steelers’ Organized Team Activities practice on Thursday, Peko had something eye-opening to say about Black.

Keeanu Benton is currently taking reps at nose tackle, but Peko made it clear via Ray Fittipaldo that he believes Black will eventually take over that spot. The words he used to describe Black’s potential as a nose tackle were striking and suggest the Steelers may have found something far bigger in the fifth round than anyone originally realized.

"I feel like Black can be one of the best noses in the game if he just keeps doing what he’s been doing, and that’s been working his butt off and being really good with his technique and his details," Peko said. "I just want to sharpen him up and get him going and try to bring out the best in him."

Hearing a coach speak that highly about a fifth-rounder in the 2025 NFL Draft is certainly interesting. And when you step back and understand that this is not just any coach, it carries even more weight. Peko played in the NFL for 15 seasons, carving out a long career as a defensive lineman. He knows what dominant nose tackle play looks like at the highest level, and he understands that making comments like that are meaningless if they are not grounded in real ability, especially when referring to a player like Black who is still developing.

Hearing that kind of praise naturally had Steeler Nation turning their heads. It is one thing for a young player to generate internal optimism, but it is another when a former long-time NFL veteran and current defensive line coach speaks about him with that level of conviction.

Steelers' Front Seven Is In Good Hands

While Harmon initially stole most of the draft buzz and attention, Black is now starting to enter the conversation in a real way. If both players develop on their current trajectory, the Steelers may have found a long-term pairing that anchors their defensive line for several seasons to come.

Peko’s experience as a long-time NFL defensive lineman should also play a major role in helping both Harmon and Black reach their potential. He has lived through the technique, leverage battles, and consistency required in the trenches, which gives him a real advantage as a teacher at this level. If anyone can refine their raw traits into dependable NFL production, it should be a coach who has done it himself for over a decade and a half.

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