Former Steelers 1st-Round Pick Signs With AFC Foe: Report

Getty NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on May 16 that Pittsburgh Steelers 2018 first-round pick Terrell Edmunds signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their first-round selection from the 2019 NFL draft sign with a division rival this offseason. On May 16, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick from the year prior, safety Terrell Edmunds, joined a former division foe.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Edmunds signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“The Jaguars have added a few veterans before OTAs, signing DBs Terrell Edmunds and Tre Flowers, along with LB and special teamer Ty Summers,” wrote Rapoport.

Edmunds spent the first five years of his career with the Steelers after the team selected him at No. 28 overall in the first round of 2018. In 79 games with Pittsburgh, Edmunds posted 410 combined tackles, including 15 tackles for loss and 6 interceptions.

While Edmunds has not played for another AFC North team, the Jaguars will still be the third Pittsburgh rival Edmunds will play for since leaving the Steelers in free agency a year ago. Last season, Edmunds appeared in games for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.

The Jaguars were division rivals with the Steelers from 1995-2001. The two franchises have also met in two playoff games, both of which were Jacksonville victories, since then.

Safety Terrell Edmunds Joins Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars bolstered their secondary and special teams with the multiple additions they made on May 16. Edmunds could compete for a depth safety role behind Antonio Johnson and Andrew Wingard.

That could make for an interesting dynamic. Not that Edmunds has any remaining loyalty to the team that drafted him six years ago, but Wingard disrespected the Steelers with a celebration involving the Terrible Towel when the two teams met last October.

The Steelers, though, got the last laugh. The Jaguars finished the season 3-6 and missed the playoffs because of a loss to the already eliminated Titans in Week 18. The Steelers then claimed the final AFC playoff spot after the Jaguars defeat.

In addition to safety, Edmunds could also contribute on Jacksonville’s special teams. For the Titans and Eagles, he played 217 special teams snaps during 2023. That was Edmunds’ most since his rookie season.

Edmunds appeared in 16 games during 2023. Of those contests, he started 4 of them, recording 48 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hits. He also had 2 pass defenses, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception.

With the Steelers, Edmunds never had a season with fewer than 68 combined tackles. However, he played a career-low 476 defensive snaps in 2023. In Pittsburgh, Edmunds lined up for at least 864 snaps on defense in all five seasons.

Steelers Still Searching for Safety Depth?

There were quite a few former Steelers first-round choices on the open market this offseason. First, 2019 first-round inside linebacker Devin Bush signed with the Cleveland Browns.

2015 first-rounder Bud Dupree was also a free agent. Some NFL pundits connected Dupree to the Steelers, but he signed a 2-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Edmunds is now off the market as well.

There was little mentioned about the possibility of an Edmunds-Steelers this offseason. But Pittsburgh signing addition safety depth is probably still on the table.

The Steelers added veteran safety DeShon Elliott to replace released Keanu Neal in March. But safety injuries decimated Pittsburgh late during the 2023 season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team add additional insurance to the back of its secondary this summer.

Pittsburgh will not play Jacksonville during the 2024 preseason or regular season. But the Steelers will see Bush twice with the Browns and Dupree with the Chargers.