7 Terrell Edmunds replacement options for Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft

1. Kaevon Merriweather, 6’, 205, Iowa

Kaevon Merriweather could be a late-round sleeper option to replace Terrell Edmunds. Merriweather is a fifth-year player who has been a consistent starter for the Iowa Hawkeyes for the last three seasons. In 2022, he was a consensus All-Big Ten defender and earned some All-American honors from various media outlets. Merriweather finished second on his team in interceptions and was also tied for the fourth-highest Coverage grade (89.3) among safeties who played at least 20% of their defensive snaps, according to PFF. 

Off the field, Merriweather is a model citizen and leader for his team. He earned the Duke Slater Golden Gavel award from the Iowa media, which is an award “presented to the Iowa football player who not only is most cooperative with local media but exhibits themselves with professional integrity in all interactions.” He was a member of the team’s Player Council as a junior and senior, all while earning Honor Roll every semester for four years. 

In addition to the uniform similarities, the Iowa defense shares many schematic similarities with what the Steelers want to do. They primarily utilize Zone coverages, allowing their defensive line to wreak havoc in the pocket, thereby creating turnovers by pressuring the quarterback. Merriweather benefited greatly from this strategy, recording four interceptions and seven passes broken up in the last two years. In 2022, he allowed an NFL passer rating of only 11.7 when targeted. 

Furthermore, per Dale Lolley of Steelers.com, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan attended the Iowa pro day, which is not a usual stop on Tomlin’s pro day circuit. The Hawkeyes have several players the Steelers could be interested in (i.e., Lukas Van Ness, Jack Campbell, Riley Moss, Sam LaPorta). But perhaps Merriweather caught their eyes.