Steelers' Coaching Staff Already Has Clear Disagreement About Handling Of Rookie

The Pittsburgh Steelers started mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, and many fans were excited about the appearance of Aaron Rodgers. The veteran quarterback wearing black and gold was a big story after he signed with the team over the weekend, while TJ Watt's holdout is also still a major headline. However, some fans have been paying close attention to the rookie class and how those players have been performing. Will Howard is interesting to watch as a sixth-round pick, but all eyes are on first-round selection, Derrick Harmon.

A ton of fans wanted Pittsburgh to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the smart pick was always to go with the defensive line. It was by far the weakest part of Pittsburgh's defense, and the unit is aging. The defensive line needed some youth and an upgrade talent-wise, and that is what it got when they drafted Harmon in the first round of the annual event. Harmon will hopefully be a staple of the defensive line for years to come.

Defensive Line Coach Karl Dunbar may have gotten a little bit ahead of himself this week as he said that Harmon would be starting to begin his rookie year in 2025. He said this ahead of a minicamp practice on Tuesday, but the statement was refuted as Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about it as well.

"We'll sort out all of that division of labor and roles and depth chart things when we get to real football," Tomlin said. 

Dunbar deliberately said that Harmon would be the starter, which Tomlin did not agree with necessarily when he was asked the same question. Tomlin minimized the practices the team is going through right now, and instead said that he would wait until he sees Harmon in pads going through real practices.

Harmon should start to begin the 2025 season just based off of the talent in the room outside of Cam Heyward. Rookies don't often start in Pittsburgh however, especially not to begin the season. Harmon may become the starter later on in the year, but starting right away for any rookie in Pittsburgh under Tomlin seems like a longshot.

The Steelers don't like to start rookies, allowing them the opportunity to easily and gradually get acclimated to life in the NFL. Harmon is a rare case where he absolutely should be the starter to begin the season, however. There seems to be a considerable gap in talent level between himself and the rest of the defensive line outside of Heyward, and he has the skills to make an immediate impact. Pittsburgh's defense needed some help on the defensive line when it came to stopping the run in 2024, and Harmon could provide that. He just needs the opportunity to be on the field to do so.

Steelers' Rookie Defensive Linemen Got Drafted Into A Perfect Situation

Both Harmon and Yahya Black got drafted into great situations. The Steelers have a fantastic defense, but the defensive line needed some work. This will provide both of them with a ton of opportunity to see the field and make plays early on in their career. They also get to learn from one of the best to ever do it in Heyward. Heyward has had a long and illustrious career, and he will likely be enshrined in Canton one day after his retirement. He currently has two years left on his contract, and he will likely retire once the deal expires. This gives both rookies ample time to pick the veteran's brain to learn what they need to.

In addition to getting opportunities and learning from Heyward, both rookies get to play with an outstanding supporting cast. The edge rushers in Pittsburgh are arguably the best in the league, and the inside linebacker group is solid as well. This should make the defensive line's job easier, and hopefully lead to the two rookies making a big impact.

What do you think about the two coaches not being on the same page? Let us know in the comments below!

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