Steelers' Derrick Harmon Is Set For A Massive Breakout 2026 Season Under Patrick Graham

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting very close to training camp in Latrobe, PA under new head coach Mike McCarthy and an entirely new coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season. While things have calmed down after a chaotic start to the offseason, business is getting ready to pick back up quickly for the Black and Gold and their summer schedule. 

With new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham dealing with a shortage of talent during his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders, things should be opposite of that in the Steel City. In his first year with the franchise, he may unleash a second-year player. On the most recent episode of the Check The Mic Podcast, NFL analyst Steve Palazzolo dug into the 2025 NFL Draft picks, specifically those taken in the first round. During the show, he came around to Pittsburgh first-round pick Derrick Harmon and discussed his first season with the team. He also discussed the potential outlook for Harmon in his second season, and first under his new defensive coordinator.

“Twenty-three total pressures on 304 pass rushes, that’s okay,” Palazzolo said. “I think it was a pretty, it was an okay rookie season for Derrick Harmon. And I think Steelers fans were pretty happy with him, overall. But saw some issues there, run game and pass rush effectiveness. Probably ask a little bit more of him this year.”

The 6'5", 330 pound defensive lineman spent his first three college seasons at Michigan State, which were then followed by one year at Oregon. He finished his college career with eight and a half sacks to go along with three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries across his four seasons. In his first NFL season, he had a fumble recovery, as well as three sacks and one tackle for loss. Now he appears to be ready to have an increased role in disrupting the passer and trying to cement himself as a solid run stopper up front for the organization in 2026.

While Palazzolo was not entirely down on Harmon's first year in the NFL, there is definitely room for improvement. The lack of pressure, which comes out to under 10%, may be a bit of an underwhelming part of his game from the 2025 season. However, he has incredible size on a defensive line that has a ton of talent all around him. For that reason, increased expectations could see increased production from the second-year defensive lineman.

Steelers' Graham Should Have Everything He Needs In 2026

With an explosive edge rushing group primarily consisting of TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, another full year of experience for Harmon could have this Steelers defensive front primed for a huge year. This is especially true given what Graham did in Las Vegas with far less talent. Under his leadership, he orchestrated them to a top-10 finish in scoring defense for the 2023 season. Outside of having star edge rusher Maxx Crosby with that team, he did not have a ton of talent to work with to get that feat accomplished.

The story is entirely different for him heading into his first year in Pittsburgh. That can also be true for Harmon, as his defensive coordinator provides a clean slate for everyone on that side of the football in the 2026 season. However, it was also recently discussed that Graham has his work cut out for him following a 2025 defense that struggled, most particularly in the passing defense.

One thing that could immensely help in improving that passing defense is getting pressure on the quarterback as quickly as possible. That is where, as Palazzolo notes an increased role for Harmon, could really step up and answer the bell for the team in the upcoming year. While his 2025 season may not have been an impressive start to his NFL career, he has the size, as well as the talent around him to improve his game significantly in year two in the league.

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