The Steelers swapped out Martavis Bryant and drafted safety Terrell Edmunds in the first round in somewhat of a surprising — and moving — turn of events on the first day of the NFL draft.
What was moving was watching Ryan Shazier take a long walk to the podium at AT&T Stadium near Dallas to announce the Steelers’ first-round choice, the traditional role of commissioner Roger Goodell.
“You saw Ryan Shazier take some very inspirational steps,” general manager Kevin Colbert said. “That’s a huge lift not only for him but for us. To see where he has come from to where he is and knowing where he might be able to go is beyond inspirational, it’s exciting and exciting for him.”
Despite picking up an extra third-round draft choice from Oakland for Bryant, the Steelers never made a first-round trade on a night in which there were six trades made among the first 22 choices, seven overall.
Edmunds played at Virginia Tech. The Steelers picked him over Ronnie Harrison of Alabama and Justin Reid of Stanford at the position.
Edmunds is 6 feet 1, 217 pounds, and safety was another need on defense for a team that released starting free safety Mike Mitchell. They also signed veteran Morgan Burnett in free agency.
“He does fill that void of a nice young defender on the back end,” Colbert said. “Terrell Edmunds is a very gifted, athletic, physical safety who has played free safety, strong safety. He may rotate from one to the other in the same play.”
Mike Tomlin said they can use Edmunds all over the secondary.
“Anything you can imagine him doing, you saw him doing in Virginia Tech’s defensive tape. That versatility was exciting. We got a sharp, young versatile guy. … He checks all the boxes for us.”
That first call. #SteelersDraft pic.twitter.com/tLpnvSFmlV
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 27, 2018
Edmunds played 10 games last season through a shoulder injury that was strapped up. He then had surgery and the Steelers have said he has fully recovered.
Edmunds comes from a football family. Brother Tremaine Edmunds, a linebacker, was also drafted in the first round, 16th by the Buffalo Bills. Another brother, Trey, is a New Orleans Saints running back. Dad Ferrell was a Pro Bowl tight end for the Miami Dolphins, and Colbert was a scout with them when they drafted him.
The two inside linebackers mentioned most as possible Steelers draft picks were gone before their turn came up — and they made no move to trade up to get them.
Colbert acknowledged that picking up the extra third-round pick gave them the ammunition to do so, but he would not reveal whether or not they tried.
Dallas drafted Leighton Vander Esch of Boise State at No. 19, and Tennessee drafted Rashaan Evans of Alabama at No. 22.
Although Colbert said in February the team was not looking to trade Bryant and dismissed offers from other teams for him, he said Oakland’s offer this time was too good to refuse.
Oakland sent them the No. 79 overall draft pick for Bryant. That left them thin at wide receiver, with only Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster on the roster with more than four catches last season. But they do have the rest of the draft to find some.
The extra third-round pick should have provided enough capital for the Steelers to use in a trade and move up in the first round to draft Evans. Instead, it was the Titans who traded up to draft him. They swapped with Baltimore to move from 25 to 22, perhaps beating the Steelers to the punch.
The Steelers now have three selections in the next two rounds Friday night — one in the second (60 overall) and two in the third (79 and 92). The final four rounds take place on Saturday. The Steelers have no pick in the fourth round, two in the fifth and one each in the sixth and seventh.
“Having that third in our picket is very valuable,” said Colbert, noting it makes up for them not having a fourth-rounder.
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Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com
First Published: April 27, 2018, 3:26 a.m.
Updated: April 27, 2018, 4:03 a.m.