CHARLOTTE— Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft choice Derrick Harmon was carted off the field after a trip into the blue tent during the second quarter of the team's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers .
Harmon has been ruled out for the rest of the game with a knee injury.
Harmon was checked for a the injury after the Steelers' defense forced Jack Plummer into an interception, thwarting a 9-play, 38-yard march. On that play, Harmon powered through a block by Panthers rookie guard Luke Kandra , then was met by offensive tackle Brandon Walton , who dumped Harmon onto the ground in what looked to be a twisting fashion. Plummer threw an ill-advised pass James Pierre 's way in the end zone.
Harmon figures to see major playing time on the defensive line beside veteran Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton . Logan Lee sits behind Harmon on the depth chart, but isn't a lock for a roster spot. After Christian Kuntz was hurt, Lee also served as the Steelers' long snapper in its preseason game against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Derrick Harmon
During that same game , Harmon bull-rushed Buccaneers guard Ben Bredeson for his first NFL sack.
"Really just playing within the defense, trying to do my best to help the team out to the best of my ability," Harmon said when asked about the effort afterward.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin lauded Harmon for his performance.
"I thought several players took a step forward. Two young guys in particular, I thought Harmon and Kaleb Johnson really took a step forward off their first performance," Tomlin said. "But again, that's a reasonable thing to expect. Second time stepping into a stadium, you see more of their talents. I think we talked about that a couple days ago in participation in the game."
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Charlotte.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers DT Derrick Harmon Carted Off with Injury
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