Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Derrick Harmon On Emotional Night: Mother On Life Support

Former Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Derrick Harmon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Harmon's mother is on life support and he's headed to the hospital right away to tell her the good news - that he's been drafted to the Steelers, according to a report.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (DL15) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected former Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Leading up to the draft, Harmon was consistently projected as a Day 1 selection, so to see him taken off the board on Thursday night is no surprise.

An emotional night made even more special. Harmon's mother Tiffany is on life support and he headed to the hospital right away to tell her the good news - that he's been drafted to the Steelers - according to a report by Steelers Correspondent for The Pat McAfee Show, Mark Kaboly.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (DL15) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Derrick Harmon said his mother is on life support in the hospital and is heading over there now to tell her that her son got drafted by the Steelers.

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) April 25, 2025

Harmon told The Oregonian that his favorite NIL purchase is a wheelchair accessible van for his mother.

"My mom means everything to me. Her name is Tiffany Sane. That's my rock. That's my why. My freshman year at Michigan State, she ended up having a stroke, which left her paralyzed on her left side. It was kind of hard, but it's something that we was used to as far as her health, because just growing up, she had about eight brain surgeries," Harmon told ESPN.

"I'm originally from Detroit, Michigan, so I was probably 45 minutes away from home once I went to Michigan State. It was very hard leaving and going to Oregon. It was probably the hardest decision I had to make. I sat down with my mom, and we had a discussion, and she told me every decision I made up to this point was for her, and it's time to make a decision for myself... "She's the reason why I'm here. She's the one that did everything for me to get to this point. I love you, Mom. Everything I do is for you. I'm forever grateful," Harmon continued.

Derrick Harmon’s journey to becoming the 21st overall pick by the Steelers was driven by the strength of his mom Tiffany ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rN4p5TavQq

— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2025

Oregon coach Dan Lanning shared his congratulations to Harmon.

"So proud of you DJ you deserve everything coming your way. Steelers got a great one!" wrote Lanning on X.

Before the draft, Harmon was ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, and the former Duck was the second-highest defensive tackle in Jeremiah's rankings. Harmon ended up being the fourth defensive tackle selected, after Michigan's Mason Graham (Cleveland Browns, No. 5), Michigan's Kenneth Grant (Miami Dolphins, No. 11), and Ole Miss' Walter Nolen (Arizona Cardinals, No. 16)

In fact, Harmon was projected to go in the middle of the first round, so the Steelers taking him with the 21st pick makes sense. However, Pittsburgh surprised some by taking Harmon over former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

While some may question the Steelers for not addressing a need at quarterback, picking a talented defensive lineman like Harmon at No. 21 is a great fit. Harmon has massive upside in the NFL as a pass rusher and run-stopper. Last season with the Ducks, Harmon led the country in quarterback pressures (55) among interior defenders.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (DL15) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Derrick Harmon has a case for second best pass rusher in the class. Arsenal of moves. NFL size. Really long. Very athletic. Aware of where the QB is moving. Variety of alignments.

My DT1. Top 10 overall player. pic.twitter.com/Qe9GsYOnIh

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) April 15, 2025

A few highlights of Harmon's Ducks career include a forced fumble in the regular season matchup against Ohio State, ripping the ball away from Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins in the backfield. Harmon also registered a sack and three tackles in the Big Ten title game against Penn State. In the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, Harmon finished with two tackles for loss.

Harmon played on season with Oregon and coach Dan Lanning, and it was arguably the best year of the Michigan State transfer's career. In his one season in Eugene, Harmon posted career highs with 27 solo tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. He also deflected four passes with his longer arms.

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Harmon’s four-year contract, with a fifth-year club option, is projected to be worth $17,973,596 with a $9,711,704 signing bonus.

ESPN's Field Yates is in accordance with Jeremiah, ranking Harmon as the No. 25 player in this year's draft class.

"Harmon was at Oregon for only one season (after two years at Michigan State), but he made a significant mark in his time as a Duck with more pressures than any other defensive tackle in the FBS (35). Harmon has very good 34⅜-inch arm length and the strength to overwhelm blockers in the run game," Yates said.

The praise does not end there, with Jeremiah highlighting Harmon's abilities to defend against both the run and the pass. As a result, his first-round grade is not surprising.

"Harmon is a quick, disruptive defensive tackle with excellent instincts. As a pass rusher, he has quick hands to knock away the punch of opposing linemen. He also has a club/rip move that helps him collect early wins. He flashes an occasional bull rush, but I’d like to see more of it because it’s effective. Against the run, he’s very aware and avoids getting displaced by down blocks. He can anchor down versus double-teams and he excels at shooting gaps to disrupt and redirect runners," wrote Jeremiah.

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