The Pittsburgh Steelers were nearly universally lauded for selecting Derrick Harmon with their first-round pick, No. 21 overall. Based purely on the Oregon product's talent, that's absolutely correct. As both an immediate contributor and a long-term option to replace Cam Heyward, he looks perfect. The one worry, however, was the notion that Harmon might've fallen tot he Steelers because of a lingering shoulder injury. Harmon bluntly put an end to that at the start of Pittsburgh's rookie minicamp.
Speaking with the media, Harmon didn't remotely mince words when asked about the torn labrum and partially torn rotator cuff that reportedly showed up on his MRI at the NFL Combine. He had a clear message for the Steelers and fans: He's ready to go.
"Nothing's wrong with my shoulder," Harmon said, via Steelers Now. "I'm 100 percent healthy, ready to go."
Not that there was really any way to misunderstand as plain of a sentiment regarding his injury concerns than what he said, but Harmon doubled down on that further with more comments about the situation. He not only maintained that he's healthy but also made it clear that he's in camp and he's ready to start making a name for himself.
"I don't know man, I'm fully healthy, ready to go," Harmon said. "I don't have no concerns. I'm ready to get to work."
Derrick Harmon doesn't want Steelers fans to worry about injury concerns
Harmon wasn't the only player in the 2025 NFL Draft who slid down the board due to injury concerns. Potential first-round talents like Benjamin Morrison and Will Johnson fell to Day 2 because of issues. Josh Simmons wouldn't have lasted until the 32nd pick if not for his knee injury. This is a common occurrence when it comes to the draft.
However, the Steelers have maintained full confidence in Harmon's health since immediately after the selection. General manager Omar Khan essentially said that Pittsburgh wouldn't have picked him 21st overall if they didn't think he was healthy and ready to play. Harmon is basically echoing that same sentiment with his comments at the start of minicamp.
What's interesting is that Pittsburgh fans can now feel doubly confident in the team's first-round pick. Harmon's greatest value for the organization is likely as the eventual stand-in for Heyward. However, he immediately improves the interior of the defensive line at a spot where the defense was lacking a season ago. Thus, his health is of the utmost concern for any hopes the Steelers have of competing at the highest level in the 2025 campaign.
Harmon is clearly telling us that there's no reason to believe he won't be an instant-impact player. If he's correct, then the only thing Steelers need to worry about now is what the healthy rookie looks like on the field at the NFL level.