3 Steelers could surprise us with terrific seasons in 2021

There are certain players who never draw a lot of media attention, but these three Steelers could shock us with terrific performances in 2021. 

We are just days away from NFL kickoff and all eyes seem to be on the trending stars. Pittsburgh Steelers fans want to see how rookie running back Najee Harris performs in his first regular-season NFL action and how T.J. Watt will fare after going the entire training camp without practicing with his team.

While we expect great play out of Pittsburgh’s young stars, there are other players we seem to have already made assessments on. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t take a big step forward in 2021. Here are three players who could surprise Steelers Nation with impressive play this year:

Steelers SS Terrell Edmunds

I was not a fan of the Terrell Edmunds pick at all when the Steelers took him with the 28th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. I had a 2-3 grade on the Virginia Tech safety and I thought he went a least a full round higher than he should have.

In his first two years for the Steelers, he proved me right. Edmunds took the ball away just once in his first 31 games and surrendered a 131.6 passer rating in 2019, according to Pro Football Reference. Many considered him to be the weakest link on the defense.

In year three in 2020, however, things finally started to turn around. Edmunds earned two picks while giving up far fewer touchdowns and big plays, but he still has a ways to go. Terrell Edmunds certainly isn’t lacking in athletic gifts and things started to come together for him last season. I think by the end of the year, there is a chance Steelers fans could be strongly advocating for him to be re-signed.