On day three of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers had one thing in mind: defense. Four of five Steelers' picks on day three were on the defensive side of the football, excluding sixth-round pick (No. 185) quarterback Will Howard.
During a post-draft interview, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin noted that the focus of this year's draft was on physicality. He stated the organization wanted to retool and return to being more physical on both sides of the ball.
Part of that retool was drafting former Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black in the fifth round (No. 164 overall). Black is a large human, standing at six- feet five, and weighing 336 pounds. When asked about Yaha Black, Tomlin made a funny comparison.
"He's a big chassis. There's F-150s, he's like an F-350."Mike Tomlin, Steelers HC
If you are like me, you had to Google what a "chassis" is. A chassis is defined as the supporting frame of an automobile structure. The more you know!
Tomlin hilariously called Black an F-350, but noted that he is a big man who is stout against the run. He followed that by saying you can certainly always use a skill set like that.
During his career at Iowa, Black excelled at stopping the run. He used his big frame and wingspan to swallow runners and plug holes on the line. In five seasons with the Hawkeyes, he racked up 117 total tackles and 5.5 sacks on a stout Iowa defense.
The Steelers are projecting Black to be a defensive end so they can use his size and length to disrupt running plays on the outside. If Black can improve his pass-rushing skills, he can be a steal for Pittsburgh in the fifth round.