Will Kaleb Johnson or Derrick Harmon see more snaps in 2025?
The Steelers’ 2025 draft was widely regarded as a solid haul of players — but how much will they contribute in their first year in the NFL? Today I’ll be taking a stab at ranking how much each Steeler rookie will play in the upcoming season.
1. DL Derrick Harmon
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It was a two-man race for the top spot, and ultimately I decided to give it to Harmon as he’s the first rookie to officially lock down a starting job. Harmon will be taking what were Larry Ogunjobi’s defensive snaps in the past: 494 last season and 767 the year before that.
Harmon will be on the field a lot in 2025, but it will be interesting to see how often he plays in the Steelers’ two-defensive-linemen sub package. Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton are veterans who could get the initial nod over Harmon, but Heyward — who played 71% of the team’s defensive snaps last year at 35 years old — will probably get more time to rest this season now that the D-line depth has improved. That opens the door for Harmon.
2. RB Kaleb Johnson
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The Iowa product may not steal the starting job in 2025, but he’s likely to earn an early-down workload and heavy usage in Pittsburgh’s running back rotation.
Johnson is a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s zone running scheme and was at his best as a high-volume runner in college. While Jaylen Warren will be the starter to begin the season, Johnson has the big running back frame Mike Tomlin often looks for in starters and he lacks the fumbling problems that have plagued Warren and Kenneth Gainwell’s careers.
If Johnson can continue to clean up his pass protection, he should see the field a lot.
Last year, Najee Harris recorded 569 offensive snaps to Jaylen Warren’s 447. I’d expect a similarly even distribution of playing time for the Steelers’ running backs in 2025.
3. OLB Jack Sawyer
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So far, we’re just following the Steelers’ draft order.
Barring major injury, there will likely be a sizable gap between Johnson, the team’s RB2, and Sawyer, the team’s OLB4, in terms of 2025 snaps. But the Pittsburgh outside linebacker room always gets banged up over the course of the season, meaning Sawyer is likely to get some playing time in the upcoming year. Plus, his specialty is run downs, meaning he could get rotated in over Nick Herbig from time to time.
And at the very least, Sawyer has the skill set to be an immediate contributor on special teams. Pittsburgh’s OLB4 last year, Jeremiah Moon, only played in 13 games given the team’s trade for Preston Smith. However, he still logged 111 defensive snaps and 222 special teams snaps. Sawyer could see an even bigger workload in 2025.
4. DL Yahya Black
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We keep going down the Steelers draft order — now fifth-round defensive lineman Yahya Black.
Black is a bit of a project who might not immediately differentiate himself from the rest of the Steelers’ depth on the defensive line. Free agent signee Daniel Ekuale may be the first man up when it comes to rotating in a backup on run downs.
However, Black has rare size and length at 6’6 and 336 pounds with 35-inch arms. He was an effective two-gapper in the Big Ten as a college player. As he develops over the season, I think his skill set will earn him some snaps on defense.
At the very least, he should be out there trying to block kicks with his incredible seven-foot-plus wingspan.
5. CB Donte Kent
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This is assuming Kent makes the roster in the first place, which is far from a guarantee. Kent was the Steelers’ last draft pick in 2025.
However, reports from OTAs are saying Kent — not Brandin Echols — is Beanie Bishop Jr.’s primary competition for the starting slot cornerback job. Bishop is the heavy favorite to win that camp battle, but Kent might be the next man up if Bishop ever misses time. Of the remaining Steelers rookies on this list, he has the clearest path to seeing some regular season snaps.
But if Kent does make the final 53-man roster, he’ll have to first make a name for himself on special teams. I’m confident he will — Kent is an aggressive player and a good tackler for a defensive back. He played special teams in college, with experience as a gunner and a punt returner.
6. LB Carson Bruener
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Bruener, like Kent, will be a special-teamer first if he makes the Steelers’ final roster.
He’s a smart, undersized linebacker who already excelled in the third phase of the game during his time at Washington. He also has NFL bloodlines — the son of current Steelers scout and former tight end Mark Bruener.
However, Bruener has a tougher path to playing time than Kent. First, he’ll have to outperform the team’s incumbent LB5, Mark Robinson, in the preseason. Robinson established himself as a hard-hitting special teamer late in 2025, with forced fumbles on kickoff returns against both the Chiefs and Eagles.
And even if Bruener does beat out Robinson, it’s unlikely he’ll get any time on defense behind Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, and Cole Holcomb.
7. QB Will Howard
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Howard, the Steelers’ sixth-round pick, was a dark horse to see some time as a starter when he was Pittsburgh’s presumed QB2 behind Mason Rudolph. If Rudolph started to struggle midseason, why not see what the rookie can do?
But the Aaron Rodgers signing pushed Howard down to QB3 — a spot he’ll have a hard time seeing playing time from barring a rash of injuries.
He’ll have to make a name for himself in the preseason, but he’s not exactly in a bad spot. Howard is learning from a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers, and the two seem to be getting along well to start the season.