The Steelers selected Oregon DT Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft — and Mike Tomlin wasted little time explaining why the defensive lineman will now call the Steel City home.

Tomlin was asked during the post-pick press conference how important it was to bring in a DT prospect in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft — and his response was simple: they badly needed one.

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“Extreme urgency,” Tomlin stated. “To be quite honest with you, there’s no substitute for young talent. You don’t have a chance to fill a quality defense unless you’re stout inside and up front. And this is a young guy that has an opportunity to learn from the likes of Cam Heyward and put his hand in that pile — and be a significant contributor for years to come.”

Harmon now has the opportunity to help rebuild the identity of the Steelers’ defensive line — but will Pittsburgh regret not trading back for more picks, and potentially landing Harmon closer to the end of the first round?

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Mike Tomlin: ‘Extreme urgency’ led Steelers to draft Derrick Harmon’