5 young Steelers players who must take a big leap forward in 2021

SS Terrell Edmunds

Here’s a player who already took a big step forward in 2021. It was a shocker when Terrell Edmunds was Pittsburgh’s selection with the 28th overall pick in NFL Draft, as many draft analysts had him pegged as a third-rounder. However, the size and athletic upside were all there.

After a so-so season as a rookie who was thrust into action as the starting strong safety, Edmunds took a major step backward in 2019. Despite playing 1,036 defensive snaps, he earned just 3 pass defenses and 0 interceptions while allowing 4 passing touchdowns in his coverage and a 131.6 passer rating.

In 2020, however, Edmunds righted his wrongs with a very respectable season. though he only had 2 interceptions in 16 games, the young strong safety didn’t allow nearly as many yards, per Pro Football Reference, and surrendered just 1 touchdown on the season for a 70.8 passer rating.

Edmunds still has a lot to prove, and he needs to continue to make progress. The story of his career has been the lack of big plays takeaways in his first three seasons. Let’s hope he can have more success in this department in 2021.

Whether they make improvements or not, these five players will play important roles on the Steelers in 2021. If they can continue to make strides, they could give Pittsburgh a much-needed boost in a closing Super Bowl window.