PITTSBURGH — As the Aaron Rodgers indecision lingered into draft week and Shedeur Sanders’ stock continued to fall, speculation swirled that the Pittsburgh Steelers might have an opportunity to address their future at quarterback if the Colorado signal-caller slipped into their range.

That mock draft hypothetical turned into reality Thursday night. With the Steelers on the clock at No. 21, Sanders was still on the board after being bypassed by the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

However, instead of taking a big swing on a polarizing QB, general manager Omar Khan and company stuck to their patient, trench-oriented approach by drafting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. In doing so, the Steelers addressed one of the glaring holes on the roster with a player who is stout against the run and, arguably, the top interior pass rusher in his class.

Khan said his phone was ringing with trade-back possibilities. But Harmon was one of the players the team identified as too good to pass up, especially after Michigan’s Kenneth Grant and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen went off the board, leaving Harmon as the last of those three.

“You guys have heard me talk about the big guys,” said Khan, who selected first-round offensive linemen in each of his first two drafts. “It doesn’t just apply to the offensive side, obviously. … Those big guys, they’re not easy to find. When we have an opportunity to get one, we’re going to get him.”

For a team that wants to win games at the line of scrimmage, defensive line help was warranted from the start of the offseason. Then, when the Steelers cut Larry Ogunjobi and failed to find a starting-caliber replacement in free agency, a priority turned into a necessity. Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers targeted a defensive lineman with “extreme urgency.”

“There’s no substitute for young talent,” Tomlin said. “You don’t have a chance to field a quality defense unless you’re stout inside and up front.”

Harmon, a Detroit native, began his career at Michigan State, where he played various positions in the Spartans’ four-man front. He transferred to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season and enjoyed a breakout year in the Ducks’ odd front, tallying 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles. Among interior defensive linemen, he led the FBS with 55 pressures.

That pass-rush potential is critical in the modern NFL and for the Steelers. Tomlin has talked repeatedly about how the Steelers are in their sub packages for about 80 percent of snaps, making nose tackle a position that’s being phased out.

“He’s a big man,” Tomlin said. “He’s stout against the run. His resume and tape confirms that. But he’s also a major, major threat in terms of getting after the quarterback, probably tops in this draft class in terms of interior rush men. We got us a big man that’s capable of being significant for us in all circumstances. That’s what you want when you talk about the first round of the draft.”

Given his versatility and draft position, Harmon will likely step right into Ogunjobi’s starting spot as a 4i- and five-technique in the base defense. The starting defensive line will likely feature Keeanu Benton at nose, playing between Cameron Heyward and Harmon. In the short term, Harmon will be a running mate with Heyward. In the long term, he could be part of the plan as the Steelers think about life after Heyward, who will turn 36 in May.

Coincidentally, at the NFL Scouting Combine, Harmon was asked which defensive linemen he holds in high regard. Heyward was the first player he mentioned. Two years ago, Tomlin challenged Heyward to take a mentorship role with Benton. Now, Heyward will have another apprentice who is hungry for knowledge.

“My first thought process when I got the call was, ‘I’m going to be able to pick Cam’s brain. Be under his wing,’” Harmon said on a conference call with Steelers reporters. “That could be my vet now. I can really learn from him, because he’s been doing this forever, since I was a baby. There wouldn’t be no other way I want it.”

Harmon called his draft night “bittersweet.” He got emotional as he talked about his mother, Tiffany Saine, who is currently hospitalized and on life support. Saine endured “seven or eight” brain surgeries while Harmon was growing up, he said. Saine suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left side of her body when Harmon was a freshman at Michigan State in 2022. Harmon said her model of resilience is something that’s inspired his journey.

“Man, she did not give up,” Harmon said. “She still took me to practice, still went to work. Always back in my head from the beginning of my college career was, ‘Why can’t I keep going? If I’m tired, I’m injured, whatever it is, why can’t I keep going, if she can get up and she keeps going after brain surgery?’”

While the future of the defensive line now appears bright with a player Tomlin said “has Steeler DNA,” the Steelers still don’t have an obvious starting quarterback, with no signature on a dotted line from Rodgers, nor a young quarterback who could start long-term. That makes QB a position to continue to monitor when Day 2 begins — and beyond.

After going undrafted on Day 1, Sanders remains on the board, as Miami’s Cam Ward and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart were the only QBs drafted. Should Sanders continue to fall, perhaps he could once again land in the Steelers’ range, especially in a trade-up scenario. Pittsburgh doesn’t have a second-round pick after trading for DK Metcalf, and its next selection is No. 83, but quarterback landing spots can be especially unpredictable, putting anything on the table.

The Steelers learned a hard lesson in 2022 that just because a team needs a QB doesn’t mean the answer is there in the first round. If they weren’t sold enough on Sanders to pull the trigger in Round 1, it’s worth wondering where he stands on their board and at what point they’d feel he’s worth a draft pick. Even if he slides into Round 3, they have only five picks remaining after the Metcalf trade.

It appears more likely the Steelers will look for a running back in Round 3 and target a quarterback on Day 3. They did extensive homework on signal callers like Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Ohio State’s Will Howard, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard. From that group, Howard and Leonard are two to keep an eye on.

There’s also the trade market. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins wanted to wait to waive his no-trade clause until after the first round, hoping avoid a situation like last year, when Atlanta drafted a quarterback in Round 1 months after inking Cousins to a four-year deal. Though the end of Cousins’ 2024 season might give the Steelers pause, and there are considerable financial details to work out, if Atlanta is willing to eat a large chunk of Cousins’ $27.5 million salary in 2025, it’s possible the Steelers could pivot from Rodgers and trade for Cousins.

That said, there’s still optimism within the Steelers’ organization that Rodgers will eventually sign with Pittsburgh. The next couple of days could tell us how much longer the Steelers are willing to be patient.

(Photos of Shedeur Sanders, left, and Derrick Harmon: Ed Zurga, Steve Dykes / Getty Images)