Ranking every Steelers first-round draft pick of the Mike Tomlin era

8. Terrell Edmunds, 2018 first-round pick

Many people irrationally hate Terrell Edmunds and were happy to see him depart this off-season. I don’t get it. Did Edmunds become a star player in this league? No, but he developed from a poor starter into an average one.

Edmunds was a freaky player alongside his brother at Virginia Tech. While not as big as his brother, Edmunds played a variety of roles while in school before settling in at safety in his final season. He tested as a great athlete and was a surprise first-round pick by the Steelers. Most saw him squarely as a second-round pick entering the draft.

Edmunds was thrust into a starting role early, and the results were very mixed. He struggled in coverage and became a very limited box safety early on. That said, he progressed every year and took steps forward every season as a starter. Again, he never became a star, but he turned into a stable force in the secondary.

While you could argue the value of an Edmunds in the first round, he certainly wasn’t a bad pick overall. The Steelers got five seasons out of him, and the last two have been above average. Expectations were higher for a first-round pick, but Edmunds became a fine starter for this team.