📄: Fifth Round: Yahya Black | 📸: Black in pictures | 📺: Pick Announcement | 📃: How Black fits with the Steelers | 📃: What to like about Black | 📺: Dunbar on Black | 📺: Welcome to Pittsburgh
WHERE HE'S FROM: Black, 6-foot-53/4 and 336 pounds, is a native of Marshall, Minn. He played offensive and defensive line at Marshall Senior High School (where he blocked for Trey Lance in 2017). Black also lettered in basketball and track. He was recruited by Kansas State as an offensive tackle and as a player who could potentially play on either side of the ball by Iowa, where he eventually settled into the defensive trench. Black spent five seasons at Iowa and enters the NFL after having turned 23 on April 21.
WHAT HE'S DONE: Black became a starter in 2023 and wound up starting a combined 27 games over the last two seasons. He can play multiple positions along the defensive line and did so well enough to earn Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2023 and 2024. Black isn't a stats generator (he registered five-and-a-half sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in 54 career games) but he occupied blockers well enough to help linebacker Jack Higgins produce a combined 295 tackles over the last two seasons.
NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic rated Black as the No. 25 prospect at defensive tackle and assigned Black a fifth-round grade.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "A stout run defender, Black has outstanding size and uses his big-man balance to occupy space or hold the point. With his length and the strength in his hands, he can snatch/toss blockers.
"Overall, Black looks every bit the part of a 'do your job' defender who clogs run lanes and does the dirty work. He offers the scheme versatility to become a role player in any system." _ Brugler.
