Rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon has quickly become an indispensable piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense. The first-round pick is the

First-round rookie Derrick Harmon missed the last two games with a knee injury, but Mike Tomlin is hopeful the defensive tackle can return to play against another elite running back on Monday night when the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins.

Fellow rookie Yahya Black started in place of Harmon and will do the same this weekend. Black played well in Harmon's place but where Black is more of a power guy on the inside, Harmon's athleticism is what makes him a more complete defensive lineman. Harmon's absence also exposed how thin the Steelers are at defensive line.

Thursday morning, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon said he was “optimistic” he could return to game play Monday. By Thursday afternoon, some external optimism waned when Harmon was not at practice.

It was long of the longest injury reports of the season for the Steelers, which featured 13 players on it. It was announced Thursday morning that

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is ‘optimistic’ that he can return this Monday from a knee issue that has forced him to miss the last two games. Harmon says the injury is in the same knee he suffered an MCL sprain in earlier this season, but it is a completely different injury that he manages.

Mike Tomlin on Tuesday alluded to defensive tackle Derrick Harmon’s potential return to the lineup. Because of attrition at the position and the performance of the run defense without Harmon, it can’t come soon enough for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon could return to the lineup for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 against the […] This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Key Steelers Run Defender Gets Green