3 Steelers that fans will be pleasantly surprised by in 2023

2. Damontae Kazee

Many fans were upset when the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed Terrell Edmunds to walk away and sign with the Philadelphia Eagles for what essentially equates to pennies with respect to the NFL salary cap. After an underwhelming start to his career, the former first-round safety had really developed into a stable player in the secondary.

However, I think the confidence in Damontae Kazee had something to do with that. Kazee is flying under the radar, but he quietly had an excellent second half of the 2022 season after returning from IR. The veteran has experience all over the secondary and he certainly has some ball skills. Kazee has recorded 14 interceptions since 2019 -- two of which came in limited action last season.

It was his improved ball skills and instincts that likely made Terrell Edmunds expendable for the Steelers. Right now, many fans might just view Kazee as a veteran journeyman defensive back. He will be 30 years old this season and could be splitting playing time with newcomer Keanu Neal.

Regardless, it's easy to see on film that Kazee has a natural feel for the game. His biggest weakness has been his inability to stay healthy over the past three seasons. If he can, fans will be pleasantly surprised by what he can offer the secondary in 2023.