5 Steelers who will play surprisingly well during 2021 season

Steelers Terrell Edmunds

At the very beginning of this post, Dupree was used as an example of a player taking a little longer to develop before turning into a good pro player. If anyone on the Steelers is on a similar path to Dupree, it has to be Terrell Edmunds. The former first-round safety had a slow start to his career, but he easily played the best that he ever has as a pro in 2020. That didn’t stop the Steelers from not picking up his option though, so he enters 2021 as a pending free agent.

That alone should add some extra motivation, as he can earn a nice contract next offseason if he plays well. Add in the insult I’m sure he felt when he was told his option wasn’t getting picked up and Edmunds should be expected to put up his best season this year. Add in that he has yet another season to work on his development and Edmunds could really be a sleeper on this defense.

He took some major strides last year as a coverage player and was even better in run defense than before. Assuming he keeps up his trajectory this year, Edmunds should be seen as an above-average starting strong safety by year’s end. While he won’t be a dynamic coverage option, another step in that direction as well as continued success as a run defender should continue to see Edmunds rise as a starting NFL safety.

The Steelers have a bunch of players set to take on new roles for the team. While some of these players are well-established starters, they are still in a position to play the best football of their careers. No matter the reason, these five Steelers players should be in for surprising good 2021 seasons.