The majority of conversations surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason has been focused on the quarterback position. It makes sense given the importance of a formidable signal-caller in today’s NFL, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan have a lot of work to do in several other areas. Fans may want to hear about fascinating and unexpected scenarios, but the nature of the Steelers’ organization has always been heavily focused on familiarity and loyalty. There is a possibility that the notion of those beliefs come into the fold when free agency opens up in the middle of March.
The Steelers haven’t necessarily hit home runs on their first-round draft picks since their last Super Bowl appearance. Since the 2011 NFL Draft, Cameron Heyward, David DeCastro, Ryan Shazier and TJ Watt are the only players who can be looked at as successful selections in round one. Two of those remain on the roster entering the 2024 offseason while the other two are retired; one by choice, and the other by injury.
The jury is still out on Najee Harris, Kenny Pickett and Broderick Jones, but one of the more under-appreciated players during that timeframe wasn’t necessarily stellar, but rather, a consistently healthy and reliable defensive piece. Terrell Edmunds walked during free agency in 2023, but after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal, was traded to the Tennessee Titans when his services were no longer needed.
Pittsburgh has Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee under contract in 2024 and if Patrick Peterson isn’t released as a cap casualty, the coaching staff might have three options at safety alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick. The reality is a familiar face like Edmunds may be just what Fitzpatrick needs to get back to his ball-hawking, unpredictable ways.
The 2023 season was the first of Fitzpatrick’s career that did not see him haul in an interception. That may seem like an unimportant fact, but Fitzpatrick has proven that he can change the momentum of a game when he creates turnovers. It’s impossible to ignore just how good Fitzpatrick was when he was playing in the secondary next to Edmunds.
The Steelers traded for Fitzpatrick in 2019 and the safety ended up being an All-Pro selection in three of the four seasons he played with Edmunds from 2019 to 2022. Whether or not someone looks at that as a coincidence is up for debate, but it’s hard to deny that Fitzpatrick was at his best when he had the former first-round pick in Edmunds by his side on defense.
Fitzpatrick struggled with injuries in 2023, but found a way to start 10 games. He only secured less than two interceptions in two of his first five seasons, however, his sixth professional campaign ended with not a single impactful turnover. Edmunds isn’t going to be with Pittsburgh long-term at this point in his career, but a familiar face and consistent one at that could absolutely make a difference, especially for Fitzpatrick.
Steelers’ Former First-Round Draft Pick In Edmunds Isn’t As Much Of A Bust As Fans Think
Edmunds wasn’t an All-Pro as a member of the Steelers. He also wasn’t a home run of a first-round selection. With that said, he remains one of the more underrated first-round picks since 2011. He was durable, understood the system and never was the weak link on the defense. Bringing him back on a team-friendly deal in 2024 should be looked at as strictly a positive if it ends of happening. He knows the franchise and was never a complete liability in his 79 games played for Pittsburgh.
