Yahya Black

Career StatsD-

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		17	—	28	2.5
2025		17	0.0	28	2.5

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Performance versus salary tier earns Yahya Black a D Contract Value Index, with cap structure shaping the verdict. The 2025 season produced 28 tackles across 17 games—volume that reflects a consistent depth role rather than high-impact contribution—and his D- performance grade aligns with media narratives of a developmental project hitting significant adjustment walls during his rookie campaign. At $1.14M AAV on a four-year rookie scale deal, Black's contract is cap-friendly and poses zero risk to Pittsburgh's salary structure, which is precisely what you'd expect from a fifth-round pick (164th overall, 2025). The real tension in this CVI grade isn't the dollar amount—it's that a 24-year-old in his first professional season is already carrying the burden of proving his rookie struggles were temporary rather than predictive of his ceiling, a narrative that typically emerges only when early performance raises legitimate questions. His fumble recovery against D'Andre Swift generated a brief spotlight, but that highlight largely stands isolated in an otherwise cautionary debut marked by an injury setback that further stalled his ability to build momentum in the Steelers' defensive rotation. Heading into 2026, Black remains a low-cost developmental flier with obvious upside, but his contract value hinges entirely on whether he can demonstrate that his first year was an adjustment valley rather than a floor—a test he must pass to justify even his modest AAV.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the D band — a quick read on where Yahya's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

The D- performance grade on Yahya Black reflects how his statistical baseline holds against the DE field. Black logged 28 tackles across 17 games in his 2025 rookie season, which translates to a modest counting contribution and raises immediate questions about his snap allocation, assignment consistency, or both. His tackle production represents the strongest quantifiable element of his debut, yet even that baseline is insufficient to offset the broader concerns that defined his first NFL campaign. The injury setback that derailed his development timeline compounded what was already shaping up as a difficult adjustment period—Black himself publicly acknowledged hitting a significant wall during his rookie year, a candid admission that underscores the steep learning curve he's facing at the professional level. His fumble recovery against D'Andre Swift provided a brief, nationally-noticed highlight, but isolated splash plays cannot mask the statistical thinness of his overall rookie profile. Heading into 2026, Black slots firmly as a developmental depth piece with untapped potential; the critical question is whether his struggles represent temporary growing pains or an early ceiling indicator, and whether the Steelers' recent defensive additions (Dean Lowry, Darnell Savage, Jamin Davis) signal confidence in a redshirt-heavy development path for their young edge rusher or pressure to produce immediately.

How Yahya Compares at the Position

Yahya Black ranks 139th of 147 graded defensive ends by performance. That slots Yahya between Myles Cole (D-) just ahead and Eric Watts (D-) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Yahya Black enters the 2026 offseason carrying a D- sentiment grade that reflects legitimate concerns about his immediate NFL readiness despite flashes of potential. The Pittsburgh defensive end's rookie campaign was defined more by growing pains than breakthrough moments, with Black himself publicly acknowledging he "hit a wall" during his first professional season—a refreshingly honest but telling admission about the adjustment challenges he faced. An injury setback further derailed his development timeline, preventing him from building the necessary momentum to establish himself in the Steelers' defensive rotation. While Black did generate some positive buzz with a fumble recovery against D'Andre Swift that briefly captured national attention, that highlight largely stands alone in an otherwise concerning debut year. Media and fan perception has settled on viewing him as a developmental depth piece with legitimate upside, but the narrative heading into 2026 positions him as someone who must prove his rookie struggles represented temporary growing pains rather than an early indication of his NFL ceiling.