Mike Tomlin on picking Derrick Harmon: We felt "extreme urgency" to address defensive line

The lack of a sure starter at quarterback for the 2025 season led many people to think the Steelers would target that position in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, but that's not where they went with the 21st pick.

Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon was the selection with Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart and every other quarterback who wasn't Cam Ward still on the board. After the selection was made, General Manager Omar Khan said the team fielded trade offers for the pick but that they had identified the former Oregon star as a player they would not trade away from before they were on the clock.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said the urgency others saw to address quarterback was the way the team felt about their needs on the defensive line.

"Extreme urgency to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said, via the team's website. "There's no substitute for young talent. You don't have a chance to field a quality defense unless you're stout up front. [Harmon] is a guy who has the opportunity to look toward the likes of Cam Hayward and put his hand in that pile and be a significant contributor for years to come."

The Steelers don't have a second-round pick after trading for DK Metcalf last month and some will likely conclude that their moves point to Aaron Rodgers eventually agreeing to join the team as their quarterback. It remains to be seen if that's the case, but we know Harmon is going to be a big part of the puzzle in Pittsburgh.