Yahya Black bio box: Steelers' 5th-round pick (No. 164 overall) in 2025 NFL Draft
YAHYA BLACK
Fifth-round pick, No. 164 overall
Defensive tackle, Iowa
6-foot-6, 336 pounds
Stats: Started 27 games over the past two seasons at Iowa. In those two years, he totaled 85 tackles, including 12 for loss. He also had 4.5 sacks with seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
Hometown: Marshall, Minn.
Iowa's Yahya Black is such an underrated player in this year's defensive tackle class.
He's obviously not the best athlete but at 6'6", 336 Lbs. with 35" arms and a 7-foot wingspan, nobody should expect him to be.
Black's powerful punch/extension made it almost impossible for… pic.twitter.com/JrLdtZCIuf
— Matt Wilson (@CoachWilson66) March 23, 2025
Tidbits: Made a top-30 visit to the Steelers on March 14. … At NFL Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.39 seconds. He has 35-inch arms and a wingspan of 7 feet. … At Iowa, he played on the same defensive line as Steelers’ 2024 sixth-round draft pick Logan Lee. … Before he became a two-year starter, he spent his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons as a reserve, contributing 29 tackles and one sack in 27 games. … Appeared in four games but preserved his redshirt during the covid-shortened 2020 season. … At Marshall High School, he also lettered four times in track and three in basketball. He was district defensive player of the year as a senior and district defensive lineman of the year as a junior.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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