Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Marcus Allen turn out better than Terrell Edmunds?

Did the Pittsburgh Steelers find a bigger steal in the fifth-round than they did the first?

Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans scratched their heads when the team made Terrell Edmunds their first round selection in 2018. I was one of them.

Despite having the ammunition to move up and take safety Derwin James, Kevin Colbert sat on his rear. This is nothing new as Colbert has shown a habit of staying put in drafts. James, in my mind would have made an ideal Steeler, similar to Troy Polamalu.

Edmunds, according to many draft experts had a third to fourth round grade. Admit it or not, he was a reach.  However, rather than question the front office,  fans simply placed their faith in Colbert as they so often do.  In their words, Edmunds is going to be a star, trust them.

Funny thing is, four rounds later, the Steelers drafted a similar type player. Marcus Allen from Penn State.

Edmunds was the third ranked strong safety going into the draft. Allen was the fourth ranked.  Each had a third round grade on them. Allen is 6’2 and weighs 215 lbs. Edmunds goes 6’0 and 215 lbs. Both players are aggressive tacklers, both can play close to the line of scrimmage. In fact, that was Allen’s calling card for the Nittany Lions. Allen ran a 4.6 at the combine, as opposed to 4.4 for Edmunds.

So, major question, room for debate. If both players are so similar who will succeed and who will not? First, some quotes from the experts:

Mike Mayock of NFL.Com about Edmunds:

"“Played him a lot in the box, almost played Dime linebacker”"

Mark Dulgerian of NFL.Com  about Allen:

"“Allen is a tone-setter with some linebacker traits and most of his damage gets done in the box.”"

Two in the box safeties. Both can play linebacker.  In fact Allen could play some OLB, like he did for Brent Pry at Penn State. Each is an aggressive tackler, Allen, more sure than Edmunds who struggled with misses at times. Allen is better schooled at taking angles, where Edmunds again struggles.

Where Edmunds, according to scouts excels is at covering tight ends, something Allen was not asked to do very often. Edmunds does offer nice versatility, being able to play some corner. Allen is strictly a safety who can cover mid range. Neither has the instincts for deep coverage.

Both were team leaders and neither comes with any off the field concerns, although Edmunds did miss the last half of 2017 with a shoulder injury. However, that didn’t seem to be a concern for Colbert. It should be a slight concern, given that Edmunds sometimes gets the worse of the hits he doles out.

Very little separates the two besides where they were drafted.

Of note, it is a little troubling that Edmunds has yet to sign. In fact, this 2018 class has been difficult to sign. For a player many see as a reach, it’s prudent Edmunds doesn’t miss any time. If so, it could put him in the doghouse. If he signs before camp, all is well.

Next: 3 position battles to watch at traininig camp

Steeler fans, I can already hear you: ‘nothing wrong with adding depth. Colbert knows what he’s doing.’   Does it bother anyone that he drafted two players so similar? Personally, I think over time Allen will be the better pro, although Edmunds might flash early.

Steeler nation will surely have something to say.