Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Derrick Harmon will wear No. 99 with the team, they announced on Saturday. That number was previously worn by Larry Ogunjobi previously wore that number and is most synonymous with former Steelers defensive lineman Brett Keisel.
Harmon will likely slot in as the starting base end across from Cam Heyward and can work into sub-packages along with Keeanu Benton when Heyward needs a rest.
Harmon was flagged with a shoulder injury before the NFL Draft, which caused some teams to back off him. Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant went ahead of the Oregon product, who started his collegiate career at Michigan State.
Harmon has not missed a game in three seasons while playing college football at Michigan State and Oregon. So, this would be an out-of-left-field medical concern.
In Indianapolis, Harmon stood at 6-foot-4, weighing in at 313 pounds. Harmon ran a 4.95 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split, both great numbers for his size.
One NFL scout told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein that Harmon reminds me a lot of Heyward.
“He plays like a Raven or a Steeler. Off the tape, he reminds me of a young Cam Heyward but bigger,” the scout told Zierlein.
This year, Harmon had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. In his collegiate career, Harmon posted 8.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.