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Yahya Black vs Jaguars – Film Room

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The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first preseason game of 2025 last Saturday vs the Jaguars. Let’s take a look at one of the strong performers, defensive lineman Yahya Black.

Selected in the 5th round at pick 164 of the 2025 draft out of Iowa, Black was listed as 6 feet 6 inches and 335lbs at the NFL scouting combine with 35-inch arms.

The Steelers’ defensive depth chart lists Black as a defensive end. This is slightly surprising given his frame. He has not yet played any reps at nose tackle in the Steelers’ base okie front, with Keeanu Benton and Daniel Ekuale earning those reps.

Let’s take a look at Black’s strong performance despite a limited number of reps. This may be due to an elbow injury, as Black was seen with a large brace on his right elbow on Tuesday.

Yahya Black vs Jaguars – Film Room

Starting Strong

On his first snap, Black is aligned in a 4i (inside shoulder of the offensive tackle) over 2023 first-round pick Anton Harrison. Black does a great job of striking Harrison and running down the line of scrimmage, keeping his shoulders square. He makes the tackle on his first NFL snap.

On the next snap, the Jaguars run a screen pass to running back Travis Etienne. Black controls the center and prevents him from releasing on the screen. He runs laterally down the line to pursue Etienne and narrowly misses out on making the tackle.

Pass Rush Power

Black flashed as a pass rusher Saturday night with his power on display. In this clip, the right guard jump sets him. After resetting his hands, he then gains control of the right guard’s wrist and walks him back in the pocket.

During his second drive, he used a push-pull, arm-over technique to beat the right guard and record a hit on Jaguars’ QB Nick Mullens.  This play drew the attention of several NFL analysts, including Brian Baldinger.

Coming out of college, Black’s pass-rushing ability was the element of his game most in question. In his short debut, he answered some of those questions.

The next play best illustrates how Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar wants his front to play. It starts with a great get-off. Black explodes through the hips and strikes the blocker. This knockback technique allows the Steelers to reset the line of scrimmage. Black then controls the blocker, bringing his feet with him. He extends his arms to gain separation and then rips inside, shedding the block to make the clean-up tackle.

While it’s a small sample size in a preseason game, it’s hard not to get excited about Black’s performance. The Steelers made it a priority to upgrade the defensive line in the draft. Furthermore, the Steelers sought size and physicality, both traits Black and first-rounder Derrick Harmon possess. The first round selection will mean that Harmon gets the attention, rightly so, but don’t forget about Yahya Black.

Main Photo: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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