The Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to shake up the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting quarterback Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado with the No. 21 pick. However, the Steelers stayed true to their Steel Curtain roots and instead selected Derrick Harmon, the stout defensive tackle out of Oregon.
Harmon was not in attendance for the draft day festivities in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Instead, he was back in his home of Farmington Hills, Michigan, so that he could be close to his family. While Harmon was experiencing what should have been the happiest moment of his life, it turned into one of the saddest.
New Steelers DT Derrick Harmon Has Bittersweet Draft Experience
Harmon told the media that he grew up watching and idolizing Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. He was thrilled to be selected by the team and he can’t wait to learn from his hero and one of the best players in the game.
However, as his draft story unfolded during Round 1, it came out that his mother, Tiffany Saine, was in the hospital on life support.
“It was a little bittersweet. My mom wasn’t with me — she’s at the hospital right now on life support. That was a little bittersweet because she worked just as hard as me to get to this moment,” Harmon explained to reporters in a phone interview.
Saine had a stroke when Harmon was a freshman at Michigan State that left the left side of her body paralyzed. He also shared that during his childhood, she had undergone at least eight brain surgeries, and her resilience served as an inspiration to him.
As soon as he was done speaking with the media, he rushed to the hospital to share the good news with his mother. Shortly after telling her that he was a Steeler, she passed away, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac.
Derrick Harmon’s mom, who was on life support, passed away shortly after he went to the hospital and got to tell her he had been drafted by the Steelers.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 25, 2025
Harmon loved his mother and appreciated all she had done to care for and support him. He even used some of his NIL money to buy her a wheelchair-accessible van, so that she could travel more easily.
While Harmon’s draft-night experience was even more emotional than his peers’, he added that achieving his NFL dream is “a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and he’s “very excited.”
Harmon’s Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers have been building up the trenches on their offense over the past couple of years, and now, they finally turn their attention to the defense, hoping to find the heir apparent for almost 36-year-old Heyward.
Pittsburgh has long been known for its outstanding defenses, but in recent seasons, its reputation as the kings of smashmouth football has been slipping.
In Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss against the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the 2024 season, they gave up a combined 464 yards.
Harmon, according to PFSN’s scouting report, is a steady force in both phases of the game. He is a massive presence on the field at 6’4 1/2″ and 320 pounds; he boasts a wingspan of more than 34 inches.
NFL scouts applaud his “violent hands” and his strength. He is a “two-gapping Goliath with a ruthless power element and motor in the passing game.” He should provide Pittsburgh with the impact they need on their defense.
