With six training camp practices now in the books so far for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it appears as though rookie safety Terrell Edmunds, the team’s first-round draft pick this year, is settling in nicely. Edmunds, who already has registered a few interceptions during his first trip to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, has been receiving quite a few first-team reps with the defense so far due to veteran safety Morgan Burnett dealing with a hamstring injury.
At the conclusion of the team’s Wednesday training camp practice, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked if Edmunds’ athletic ability has manifested itself to him throughout the team’s practices thus far.
“Yes, and it should, you know,” Tomlin said “He’s a one. Those one characteristics should show up routinely.”
Tomlins response, while brief, is encouraging just the same and especially this early in camp. Also encouraging is the fact that the Virginia Tech product is only being saddled with playing just one safety position in the Steelers defense thus far.
“He has not been,” Tomlin said Wednesday afternoon when asked if Edmunds has been bounced around a little bit between multiple positions with several safeties missing some reps since training camp opened. “He’s been playing exclusively strong safety.”
While it’s still way early in the process, it sounds like Edmunds will see the field on defense sooner rather than later in his rookie season. According to at least one member of the Steelers defense, Edmunds is showing characteristics you like hearing about during the early stages of training camp.
“He’s going to be a tackler,” cornerback Joe Haden said a few days ago, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s very, very smart. He doesn’t talk too much. That’s way I came in — just and do what you’re told. Go about your business and everything’s going to happen for you.”
While odds are probably still good that Edmunds won’t be the team’s starting strong safety come the first week of the regular season, he could potentially be part of a dime sub package right away. That would enable him to log some very valuable playing time without putting too much on his plate out of the chute. From there, he can slowly work toward pushing for the starting strong safety position as his first season in the NFL progresses.
“I’m learning the defense. It’s coming along well,” Edmunds said a few days ago.
Here’s to him staying healthy and continuing to untimely show those first-round characteristics that Tomlin referenced on Wednesday.
