Steelers' draft picks get acclimated ... Rudolph, too

Mason Rudolph got a text from Ben Roethlisberger Thursday as he prepared for his first look at the Steelers' playbook in preparation for rookie minicamp Friday at the Rooney Sports Complex.

The message?

"Hey, good luck at rookie minicamp," Rudolph said of the gist of the message he received.

This was more than a pop quiz. While Rudolph, a third-round pick last month in the NFL Draft, and the other players involved in this weekend's orientation program might have gotten the playbook following the draft a couple of weeks ago, this was their first chance to show how quickly they could pick things up and, in turn, put it into practice on the field.

For first-round draft pick Terrell Edmunds, that meant doing a little bit of everything, which is exactly what the Steelers envision from the 6-1, 217-pound safety.

"I played some safety, a lot of safety. I played a few little linebacker positions. Just going out there competing," Edmunds said of his day. "Everything was going fast but, you know, it eventually slowed down for everybody on the defensive side of the ball and we came out and we competed well."

There were some mistakes. On one series, the offense failed to get a play off on time, much to the pleasure of the defensive players and the chagrin of the offensive coaching staff. And new offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, who also serves as the team's quarterbacks coach, spent a lot of time riding Rudolph and fellow rookie quarterback Alek Torgersen, a product of Penn who is in this camp on a tryout basis, to concentrate on their footwork and get the ball out on time.

But there's plenty of learning to be done before regular on-field OTA sessions start and the veterans show up Tuesday. Several veterans were at the facility Thursday and Friday working out on their own.

That offered the young players an opportunity to get some of the initial nervousness out of their system.

"A little bit," Rudolph admitted when asked if he was struck by the moment when he walked into the locker room for the first time. "You definitely, you see your locker and all that and you see some of the guys who have been here and get to meet them. You feel pretty blessed and pretty appreciative to get you here, but now it’s time to work."

RUDOLPH SHRUGS IT OFF

Rudolph said he heard and saw the comments Roethlisberger made last week and didn't make a big deal of them.

Among the things the Steelers quarterback said was he was surprised the Steelers selected Rudolph in the third round given he wants to play three to five more years.

"I was surprised they took a QB because I thought maybe in the third round you can get some really good players that can help this team win now," Roethlisberger said. "Nothing against Mason, I think he is a great player. I don't know him personally, but I'm sure he is a great kid. I just don’t know how backing up or being the third, who knows where he’s going to fall in the depth chart, helps us win now. But that’s not my decision to make, that’s all the coaches and the GM and owner ... if they feel like he can help our team, so be it, but I was a little surprised.”

He also said if Rudolph asked him any questions, he might "point at the playbook."

Rudolph, who has said he hopes to learn a lot from Roethlisberger, laughed that off Friday.

"I think the media got kind of twisted around a little bit," Rudolph said. "He’s a competitor. He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s a competitive guy, and that’s what I would expect. He’s a long-time starter, and I’m sure when we get into this building, in that room, it’s going to be all good. We’re going to be friends, and I’m going to let him do his thing and I’m going to try to pick up what I can from him, but not bother him."

NUMBERS GAME

Rudolph is wearing No. 2 for the Steelers, a number worn previously by Steelers quarterbacks Michael Vick, Brian St. Pierre and Dennis Dixon.

Edmunds is wearing No. 34, making him the first defensive player to don that jersey since Andy Russell in 1976. It has been worn by a number of running backs since that time, most recently by DeAngelo Williams.

Receiver James Washington, the team's second-round pick, is wearing No. 13, a uniform that has been somewhat unlucky for the Steelers. The only two players who have worn that number for more than one season have been Dri Archer in 2014 and 2015, and Jeremy Kapinos in 2010 and 2011.

Safety Marcus Allen, a fifth-round pick, is in No. 27, while fellow fifth-round pick Jaylen Samuels, a running back, is wearing 38.

Offensive lineman Chuks Okorafor, a third-round draft pick, is 76, while seventh-round defensive tackle Joshua Frazier is wearing 69.

One player wearing a number with a lot of history behind it is linebacker Olasunkanmi Adeniyi of Toledo. The undrafted rookie is wearing the No. 92 made famous by James Harrison and Jason Gildon, the top two leaders in sacks in team history.

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY