Sports

Tiffany Saine, the mother of Derrick Harmon, died shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected her son with the 21st pick of the NFL draft.

Harmon was visibly emotional as he was picked, and the ESPN broadcast showed a video in which the defensive tackle spoke about his mother’s health issues and paid tribute to the positive effect she had on his life. Saine was on life support when Harmon was selected and the 21-year-old told reporters he was going to see her in hospital after Thursday night’s ceremony.

“It was a little bittersweet, man,” Harmon said of the moment he was selected. “My mom wasn’t with me, she’s at the hospital right now on life support, so that was a little bittersweet, because she worked as hard just as me to get to this moment.”

Related: Shedeur Sanders’s fall exposed the cruel heart of the NFL draft industry | Oliver Connolly

Saine died shortly afterwards.

“On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, I extend our deepest condolences to Derrick Harmon and his family during this difficult time,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said on Friday in a statement.

“Though we are excited to select Derrick in the first round of the NFL Draft, our hearts are heavy as we mourn the death of his mother, Tiffany Saine. We will support Derrick and his family however we can as he navigates this period of grief. In times like this, we hope Derrick finds comfort in the love and support from the organization and Steelers fans around the world. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Derrick’s entire family.”

Saine suffered a stroke in 2022 that left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. Harmon said he used some of his endorsement earnings from his college career to buy his mother a wheelchair-accessible van. He also said her response to her health issues helped motivate him.

“After all those brain surgeries, man, she did not give up,” Harmon said. “She still took me to practice, still went to work, and I always, always, in the back of my head from the beginning of my college career was, why can’t I keep going? If I’m tired, I’m injured, whatever it is, why can’t I keep going if she can get up and she keep going after brain surgery.”

Shedeur Sanders going unselected in the first round was one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 NFL Draft Thursday night. And now it's turned into a bipartisan political issue.

President Donald Trump posted a firm endorsement of the Colorado quarterback on Truth Social hours before Day 2 of the draft, urging teams to draft him early in the second round and praising his genes as the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders:

"What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness. He should be “picked” IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!"

Sanders watched the first round on Thursday from home in Texas, alongside family and friends. He did not mask his disappointment in a speech after the 32nd pick, but promised good things were still to come.

On the other side of the political aisle, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman argued on X earlier Friday that Sanders wasn't selected because "he wears gold chains and talks like a rapper."

Sanders was widely seen as a potential top-five pick for much of the pre-draft process. Playing alongside Heisman Trophy winner and eventual No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter, Sanders earned the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award in his final season at Colorado, which resulted in a 9-4 record and a loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

However, while Sanders expected to be picked early, there were some whispers he was slipping in the week before the draft, and some anonymous coaches trashing his interviews didn't help.

Those expectations of an early selection were also always in defiance of a consensus that this year's quarterback class is on the weaker side. Yahoo Sports had Sanders ranked as the No. 39 overall prospect in the class on its consensus big board, with No. 1 pick Cam Ward ranked eighth as the only QB in the top 10.

The big board's scouting report on Sanders:

Sanders improved his play this season, especially with his feel in the pocket and timing that he plays with on concepts. Sanders is tough, has a good arm and is more than willing to challenge defenders on tougher throws like in-breakers over the middle. When in rhythm, he can let his pass catchers thrive because of his friendly ball placement.

Sanders has below-average size and is also just an average athlete, which shows up when asked to create. He has markedly better pocket movement (although he still has a tendency to drift backward).

Sanders still has plenty to work on, especially in regards to timing and feel in the pocket. And while he has a good-enough arm for the NFL, his tools aren’t overwhelming enough to consistently mitigate tough situations. Sanders will have to be dropped into a good ecosystem to keep ascending at the next level.

The reason why Sanders was expected to be selected so early was that some teams in the top five needed a new franchise quarterback, and many people believed Sanders would be viewed that way. And when it became clear that wasn't true, it didn't leave him with much in the way of landing spots later in the round. 

The Tennessee Titans took Ward. The Cleveland Browns, saddled with the worst contract in professional sports, opted to trade back and stockpile for the future. The New York Giants took Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter at No. 3, then made a trade to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. The New Orleans Saints decided to take an offensive lineman.

Simply put, Thursday was less surprising for people who pay more attention to scouting reports than mock drafts. It is absolutely possible Sanders develops into a good NFL quarterback, but not as many teams were apparently ready to make that bet as we thought.

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There was a debate before the NFL Draft about the TE1 in the class. Many believed Tyler Warren was the best tight end in this class. 

The Chicago Bears didn't agree. 

The Bears, shut out of the Ashton Jeanty sweepstakes when the Las Vegas Raiders took the talented back at No. 6 overall, seemed like a good bet to take a tight end with the 10th overall pick. They did take a tight end, but it was Colston Loveland of Michigan over Warren. 

Loveland is a versatile piece that will be what Sam LaPorta was in Ben Johnson's offense with the Detroit Lions. Johnson was hired by the Bears as their new head coach after his successful run as the Lions' offensive coordinator. Johnson knows how to use playmakers, and he has a new and fun weapon to work with. 

It's another big move to give Caleb Williams yet more help. The Bears invested heavily in the offensive line this offseason after stockpiling skill-position players last year. They went back to more playmakers early in the draft. 

There will be a debate over the next few years over whether the Bears made the right call going with Loveland over Warren, the do-everything tight end from Penn State. Johnson saw something in Loveland that fit his offense better. If the Bears are right, that could be another big boost for Williams and the offense.