The biggest complaint from Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans after Day One of the NFL Draft was the value in taking safety Terrell Edmunds. Most in the draft community believed it was a reach, grading Edmunds as a second or even third round pick. But the NFL apparently felt much differently. According to this report/tweet from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Edmunds was considered a first round selection by some organizations.
Some might have been surprised to see Terrell Edmunds go in first round but NFL teams were not. Spoke with several execs/coaches this week and all said he’s a first-round talent. One likened him to a skinnier Keanu Neal. Another said he was a top-15 player in the draft.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 1, 2018
Neal, one of the comparisons made, was taken 17th overall by the Atlanta Falcons back in 2016 and so far, has been a very good edition to their team.
The “Edmunds in the first” noise didn’t just happen before the draft either. Jason La Canfora hinted as much on April 25th. Here’s what he wrote for CBS.
“And for as much attention as Tremaine Edmunds is garnering late, keep a very close eye on his brother, safety Terrell Edmunds. Teams love his makeup and athleticism more than is being let on, and the projected grades on him in the fourth/fifth round are going to look way low. I keep hearing it’s possible he sneaks into the late first round, or certainly second round. The Panthers, Titans and Steelers could be a fit.”
That’s pretty much spot on across the board. Edmunds hit every “box” you look for in a Steelers first rounder. Underclassmen. Power 5. Production. Athleticism. The Pro Day wine and dine.
Whether or not you like the player is entirely subjective but at this point, I think it’s hard to argue this was a player who was going to last to the Steelers’ second round pick, much less anything beyond that.
