When the Steelers selected Terrell Edmunds in the first round of the draft, it surprised many of the NFL draft pundits.
But the Steelers might have been ahead of the curve on the selection.
Edmunds played so well in the preseason and throughout training camp that he is expected to be the starter at strong safety for the team when it opens the regular season in Cleveland Sunday.
So much for being overdrafted.
"He’s just a great athlete," Sean Davis told me of the rookie. "He’s got the body type where he can play in the box, be a linebacker some plays, check wide receivers, tight ends. He’s a very versatile guy. I love him back there. He’s getting better at communicating and holding his disguise. I just love what I’m seeing from him."
Davis will start at free safety next to Edmunds, while Morgan Burnett, signed by the team to a three-year, $14.35 million contract in free agency, will be the third safety.
It was assumed when the Steelers signed Burnett that he would be the starter somewhere, but he missed the final three weeks of training camp because of injury. That opened the door for Edmunds, the 28th pick in this year's draft, to win the job.
He did that by recording 11 tackles and an interception in the preseason.
"I feel like I’ve done well," Edmunds told me. "Overall, there are things I can work on, but, overall, I did well. I can build on the preseason, keeping building from there."
Davis started at strong safety last season with Mike Mitchell at free safety. But multiple lower body injuries suffered by Mitchell over the years had robbed him of his ability to cover much ground, leaving the Steelers susceptible to deep passes.
Once opposing teams figured that out, the Steelers allowed 14 pass plays of 40 or more yards in the regular season. All but one of those 14 plays came in the second half of the season.
Mitchell, 31, was released in the offseason and has not been signed by another team.
The Steelers became enamored with Edmunds at the NFL Scouting Combine when he measured in at 6-foot-1, 217 pounds and showed freakish athleticism. Edmunds ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 41 1/2-inch vertical jump.
But he's impressed teammates with his ability to learn and listen, picking things up quickly -- at least on the field. He has remained humble and realizes the starting job could be fleeting if he doesn't perform.
"I just try to do my job and play the game," Edmunds told me. "I really don’t pay any attention to all of that. Any week it could change."