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Expectations For Pittsburgh Steelers’ Rookies

The Pittsburgh Steelers had an active draft night. They traded oft-suspended wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the Oakland Raiders for a third-round pick, opted not to definitively fill their hole at inside linebacker, and drafted a quarterback in the early rounds. With the draft behind us and training camp fast approaching, it’s time to look ahead and predict the roles for each of the Steelers’ draft picks from 2018.

1st Round

Terrell Edmunds, Safety, Virginia Tech: The Steelers failed to trade up for an inside linebacker, instead, surprising fans by taking Terrell Edmunds with the 28th overall pick. Edmunds came as a surprise pick, especially after the Steelers inked safety Morgan Burnett to a three-year deal earlier in the offseason.

However, players don’t get taken in round one to ride the pine. At 6’1” with 4.47 wheels, Edmunds could be an instant difference-maker in the slot, especially when the Steelers deploy their dime defense (a defensive alignment that features six defensive backs).

Edmunds will likely carve out a role covering faster tight ends, a mismatch the Steelers have been burned by in the fast (See Sean Davis on Rob Gronkowski last season). However, as the season progresses, Edmunds has a real opportunity to take over that slot role and, if he improves some of his open-field tackling, cover for the loss of Ryan Shazier.

2nd Round

James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State: Wide receiver became a priority for the Steelers when they traded Martavis Bryant for a 2018 third-round pick. Washington was a deep threat at Oklahoma State, stretching the field and showing an acumen for deep balls, which is impressive given his 5’11” frame.

Washington figures to start the season in the slot with Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster manning the outside. However, as the season wears on and Washington expands his route tree, expect him to move outside and allow Smith-Schuster to operate out of the slot, a position he thrived in last year. This allows both receivers to play to their strengths, provided Washington proves he can run enough routes to trust him opposite Brown.

3rd Round

Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State (Via Seattle): The Steelers reportedly had a first-round grade on Rudolph, so nabbing him in the third was a win for them. This move all but guarantees the ousting of Josh Dobbs and provides competition for veteran backup Landry Jones. While the buzz after the draft was Rudolph’s potential as Roethlisberger’s backup, it’s time to pump the brakes on those expectations. The Steelers love Jones’ knowledge of the system and while he may not win you a ton of games, he’ll certainly keep you in them. Rudolph’s pick here yields more long-term upside, relegating him to the third-string QB job.

Chuks Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan: The Steelers lost lineman Chris Hubbard to the Browns in free agency, creating a hole that Okorafor could fill with his massive 6’6”, 330-pound frame. Okorafor projects to take the spot of swing tackle, a player who can play various positions on the offensive line. This role will allow him to grow and learn behind some of the best of the game and get some great in-game experience occasionally.

5th Round

Marcus Allen, S, Penn State: Allen is a hard-hitting, aggressive safety who has some deficiencies in his straight-line speed and was taken advantage of a bit in coverage last year. He joins a crowded secondary (the first time in a while for the Steelers), but expect him to carve out a role on a special teams unit that struggled last year. He could earn some playing time near the line of scrimmage as a run-stopper, but with the selection of Edmunds in the first round and the signing of Burnett, Allen should find his home on special teams.

Jaylen Samuels, RB, North Carolina State: Samuels is a swiss army knife lining up at running back, tight end, and wide receiver in college. He projects to be a useful complement at the running back position, pairing well with downhill runner James Conner in the event of a Le’Veon Bell injury or holdout. He likely won’t get a ton of reps his rookie year but look for him to see an expanded role in 2019 as the Bell contract situation becomes bleaker.

7th Round

Joshua Frazier, DL, Alabama: Frazier comes to the Steelers with the build of a successful defensive lineman but none of the production. He never cracked the rotation on a talented Alabama defense, relegated to a backup role for the majority of his college career. He will likely end up as a practice squad player unless he shows enough to supplant Dan McCullers for the backup nose tackle job.

We’ll find out more about what each of these players has to offer shortly, as players report to training camp July 25 and play their first preseason game August 9.

Anthony Panciocco

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