Foundation over Flash: Derrick Harmon Was The Right Pick

I’ll be honest—when the Steelers were on the clock, my heart was pounding. Part of me, just a part of me, wanted to hear Shedeur Sanders’ name called. The fireworks, the flash, the quarterback with all the swagger… “exciting” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

But then the Steelers did something that might not trend on social media or sell jerseys overnight.
They made the right pick.

They selected Derrick Harmon, a defensive lineman out of Oregon. And while it might not light up draft night like a quarterback would, it’s a move rooted in reality, discipline, and building something that lasts. Harmon is a tone-setter, a culture guy—a player who fits what Pittsburgh is continuing to build. A bully. Toughness, discipline, and winning in the trenches. An Andy Weidl special.

He doesn’t play the most glamorous position, but he’ll make a difference every Sunday.

To be fair, there was a clear divide across the fan base leading up to the pick. You had the Sanders crowd, fired up for the flash and the future, and then the Harmon crew, preaching patience and the value of trench warfare.

But since the pick? The energy has shifted—or reality has set in. A lot of fans, even those who were yelling for Sanders, seem genuinely excited about what Harmon brings to this team.

Don’t get it twisted—I’m still a fan of Shedeur Sanders, as I’m sure many fans are. I believe he’s going to be a good quarterback at the next level. But I also recognize what someone said perfectly last night:

“You can win games with Sanders, but Sanders won’t win you games. That’s not a first-round QB.”
That stuck with me. Because there’s a difference between talent and transformative talent. Sanders has potential, no doubt. He’s been a winner his whole life and has a strong foundation. But he wasn’t the kind of quarterback you pass on a foundational piece like Harmon for.

I wondered what the Steelers would do if Sanders was still on the board at pick 21. We’ve seen what reaching for a quarterback can do to franchises. Just ask teams like the Browns or the Bears. And we’ve seen it ourselves with Kenny Pickett. You swing too early, you miss, and suddenly you’re back in a rebuild cycle.

The Steelers aren’t making that mistake again. They’re not reaching for a quarterback or forcing someone to be the guy when he’s simply not ready. Sanders has the intangibles, no doubt, but he hasn’t yet shown the full skillset to warrant a first-round selection—and the draft confirmed that.

Harmon, on the other hand, can be special. He’s an injection of youth into a defensive line who’s leader is almost on his way out. The Steelers are building something. Harmon is a building block, not a Band-Aid.

Sure, this pick won’t dominate the ESPN highlight reel, but give it time. When Harmon is anchoring our defense in a few years next to Keeanu Benton—plugging gaps, wrecking blocking schemes, getting after the quarterback, and setting the tone while learning from Cam Heyward—we’ll remember this draft for what it truly was: a turning point in the Steelers’ next era. A passing of the torch, you might say.

So yeah, my fan heart was intrigued by the flash of Sanders. But my football brain? It’s pumped about Harmon. The Steelers did what good organizations do, they didn’t reach. They continue d to build. And that’s how championships are made, by taking the best player available. Contrary to what many fans think in the moment, the Steelers are a good organization.

The ultimate goal is to build a quarterback-ready roster—a team capable of carrying a young QB until he’s ready to put the team on his shoulders, if and when necessary.

In round one of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers added another solid piece to that vision.

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Stay Blessed and Stay Positive… “Here We Go”