Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black finished off his first preseason in the NFL with an exclamation point.
Black was nothing short of dominant in his 18 snaps on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers, with the Iowa product tallying two total tackles, two sacks, one batted ball and four defensive stops, according to Pro Football Focus.
And, oh yeah, he also had one awesome big-man celebration.
Yahya Black belly celly will be a must GIF this year 🤣😂#Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/HYaleivFkY
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 22, 2025
Black's PFF grades were outstanding across the board. Here's a breakdown of those and where they ranked among fellow Pittsburgh defenders:
- Overall: 91.9 (1st)
- Run Defense: 79.9 (1st)
- Tackling: 71.8 (12th)
- Pass Rush: 90.4 (1st)
Not bad for a rookie, eh?
The fifth-round pick also caught the attention of NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, who gave Black the "Baldy's Breakdown" treatment.
.@steelers @Yblack74 @HawkeyeFootball i hope you enjoy your "6 pack of Iron City Beer " this morning to honor Yahya. 6 plays of dominance and bringing back the "Cocked Nose T". #herewego #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/XqzLwdggSl
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 22, 2025
One thing that is abundantly clear is that Black is more advanced than we suspected he would be in Year 1 and he's got an opportunity to have a fairly significant role early on.
On the Steelers' latest unofficial depth chart, Black is listed as the No. 3 nose tackle behind Keeanu Beanton (NT1) and Daniel Ekuale (NT2), but we could definitely see Black jumping Ekuale when regular season action rolls around.
Regardless, there's a lot to like about the rookie and, at least early on, the future is bright.
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