The Steelers came away with a win in their first preseason game, and the team's first-round pick Derrick Harmon had a decent debut.
Steelers rookie earns passing grade for preseason Week 1 performance originally appeared on The Sporting News
After months of waiting to see the Steelers back on the field, fans were treated to a preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend.
The Steelers escaped Jacksonville with a 31-25 win. Of course, wins and losses don't matter in the preseason, but it's always nice to see a notch in the win column regardless. More importantly, several young players had solid performances in the opener.
Wide receiver Max Hurleman, defensive back D'Shawn Jamison, and quarterback Skylar Thompson were among the biggest winners for the Steelers, as those three players helped their case to make the roster.
One player who will undoubtedly make the roster no matter what is first-round pick Derrick Harmon. Harmon was selected by the Steelers with the No. 21 pick in the 2025 draft, and the expectation is that the Oregon product will make an impact immediately.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports recently graded the performance of each first round pick in preseason Week 1. Harmon received a "B-" grade from Trapasso after collecting two pressures in 22 pass-rushing snaps.
Regarding Harmon's debut, Trapasso offered the following:
No tackles for the Steelers rookie defensive lineman in his first preseason game. But he was drafted to mostly get after the quarterback, and he disrupted twice on 22 pass-rushing snaps. While that may seem like a low rate, if you're anywhere around 10% in the NFL as an interior rusher you're really doing something right.
As Trapasso mentioned, Harmon didn't exactly light up the stat sheet. The first-rounder didn't collect a tackle, but he got after the passer a couple times and that's what he was drafted to do.
Sure, it would have been nice to see Harmon get a couple tackles or a sack, but it was his first game experience in the NFL. Harmon will likely get some more snaps in the next two preseason games as the team looks to get him geared up for the regular season.
As it currently stands, Harmon is slated to start on the defensive line alongside Keeanu Benton and Cameron Heyward. This means that the rookie will have some solid veteran mentors to learn behind as gets accustomed to the NFL.
In college, Harmon had no problem filling up the stat sheet. In 2024, Harmon racked up 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks. If the Steelers can get more pass rush from the interior with Harmon, the rookie could be one of the steals of the first round.
Category: Football
