Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon called Thursday night "bittersweet" as his mother was unable to be by his side when the Pittsburgh Steelers picked him 21st overall in the 2025 NFL draft. The former Oregon player told reporters Thursday night that his mom was on life support and that he intended to go to the hospital to inform her he was drafted. His mother, Tiffany Saine, died shortly after Harmon visited her at a Detroit hospital, Saine's sister told The Oregonian's James Crepea.

Harmon cited his mother as a source of inspiration when speaking to reporters on Thursday. ESPN shared the story of Harmon and his mother during the broadcast of the draft. She suffered a stroke when her son was a freshman at Michigan State in 2021.

A native of Detroit, playing for the Spartans allowed Harmon to remain close to home. He said transferring to Oregon for his senior year "was probably the hardest decision I had to make," and he made a final decision after his mother gave him her blessing. Ahead of the Rose Bowl, Harmon told reporters he used some of his NIL earnings to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for his mom.

The Ducks' defensive standout was the No. 21 overall player and third-best interior defender on Bleacher Report's final 2025 big board. B/R NFL scout Matt Holder compared him to longtime NFL tackle DaQuan Jones.

After the choice was made Thursday night, Brent Sobleski of B/R said Harmon "is such a Pittsburgh Steelers pick that it should have been announced at a Primanti Bros."