Some execs considered Edmunds a top 15 player

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

trust him, he's a PS poster.

Sorry, I only trust posts that tell us that we will draft Rudolph in the first.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Edmunds himself said at the draft that he and his agent felt he was going to get picked in round 2 or 3. He was only there on the first day to support his brother who everyone knew was a first round pick. And all the experts said he was a second round pick.

But let's go with what you are intimating; let's say we take Landry and Edmunds is taken before our pick in the second round, then we still had Justin Reid or Jerome Baker and if we would have taken either one of those guys, none of us would have thought it was a bad pick.

Again, I get why they took Edmunds and once you see how they want to use him, along with his athleticism, it was a good pick but it was just a matter of where they picked him. I like him long term.

I hear what you are saying, but I believe that the Steelers pick the guy who they love and don't worry about what us or the experts think. As fans we look at draft picks as carbon units. This guy is a 7.2, this guy is a 7.1. We also read into what all the "experts" say but they are grading the player as a college player. The Steelers look at the player as they project him to fit into their scheme. I'm not saying that the pick will or won't pan out, but I'm saying that the Steelers love this kid more than Landry, and didn't want him to risk him getting away.

If they had the opportunity to trade up for Evans then it looks like they would have, and then used their second rounder hopefully to get Edmunds. But I believe that Edmunds was the number one guy on their board and they wanted him badly.

[fordfixer]

I think you read the article wrong my friend.

Ha, no I understood the article just fine. However when I read the title of the thread that was the first thing that popped in to my warped mind, I’m personally fine with the pick and like it even more, the more I read about him.

[NorthCoast]

I hear what you are saying, but I believe that the Steelers pick the guy who they love and don't worry about what us or the experts think. As fans we look at draft picks as carbon units. This guy is a 7.2, this guy is a 7.1. We also read into what all the "experts" say but they are grading the player as a college player. The Steelers look at the player as they project him to fit into their scheme. I'm not saying that the pick will or won't pan out, but I'm saying that the Steelers love this kid more than Landry, and didn't want him to risk him getting away.

If they had the opportunity to trade up for Evans then it looks like they would have, and then used their second rounder hopefully to get Edmunds. But I believe that Edmunds was the number one guy on their board and they wanted him badly.

The big concern that everyone has is that the Steelers have been very poor at evaluating secondary talent for the last decade or so. It is also concerning that the majority of NFL teams thought Edmunds would go much later.

[flippy]

On the one hand, it's cool when the Steelers pick the unexpected. I kinda hope they found something no one else could see and they kept it close to the vest so no one else knew what they were doing either.

But they also let so much info seep out to the media and that fact gives me pause with the unexpected picks. In that sense, it feels like a panic pick. We wanted our ILB, every possibility was basically gone and it felt like we went with the next best option that we might be able to plug into the system long term to serve a similar purpose.

All this talk about picking the best player irregardless of position seems like lip service to me. We wanted an ILB in the first. We couldn't get him so we went for a big S. Maybe we got the best player on the board? I dunno. I have no way of knowing. But it feels like there must have been someone better.

Then again, I don't mind the pick at all. I advocate swinging for the fences sometimes because the draft is a crapshoot any way. In some ways, the Steelers kinda drafted like I might.

[Steel Maniac]

I hear what you are saying, but I believe that the Steelers pick the guy who they love and don't worry about what us or the experts think. As fans we look at draft picks as carbon units. This guy is a 7.2, this guy is a 7.1. We also read into what all the "experts" say but they are grading the player as a college player. The Steelers look at the player as they project him to fit into their scheme. I'm not saying that the pick will or won't pan out, but I'm saying that the Steelers love this kid more than Landry, and didn't want him to risk him getting away.

If they had the opportunity to trade up for Evans then it looks like they would have, and then used their second rounder hopefully to get Edmunds. But I believe that Edmunds was the number one guy on their board and they wanted him badly.

Colbert did try to get Evans; I’ll give him credit for that.

[Oviedo]

Colbert did try to get Evans; I’ll give him credit for that.

I'm sure he feels much better now getting some credit

[Slapstick]

It cracks me up how much some accuse the Steelers of panicking....

How many drafts has Colbert overseen? How long do teams have to prepare for the draft?

[Captain Lemming]

The big concern that everyone has is that the Steelers have been very poor at evaluating secondary talent for the last decade or so. It is also concerning that the majority of NFL teams thought Edmunds would go much later.

1. We don't REALLY know WHAT other NFL teams thought now do we?
We base OUR impressions on what so called "experts" who have no relation to NFL teams say.

2. You could not be more wrong about "evaluations". Fact is every single safety the Steelers have EVER selected in the first round in my lifetime has not only had a HOF career but is in the discussion for GOAT at the position. We have NEVER missed on a 1st round safety my friend. (OK we are talking one guy but saying it that way sure LOOKS real impressive).

[Steel Maniac]

The big concern that everyone has is that the Steelers have been very poor at evaluating secondary talent for the last decade or so. It is also concerning that the majority of NFL teams thought Edmunds would go much later.

Boom.............................................. .

[Steel Maniac]

1. We don't REALLY know WHAT other NFL teams thought now do we?
We base OUR impressions on what so called "experts" who have no relation to NFL teams say.

2. You could not be more wrong about "evaluations". Fact is every single safety the Steelers have EVER selected in the first round in my lifetime has not only had a HOF career but is in the discussion for GOAT at the position. We have NEVER missed on a 1st round safety my friend. (OK we are talking one guy but saying it that way sure LOOKS real impressive).

Well, I hope that continues with Edmunds. But right now, that linebacker corps isn't very impressive to me. I still see Fournette running for that 18 yard TD against us in the playoffs.

[RuthlessBurgher]

In some ways, the Steelers kinda drafted like I might.

Uh oh...now I'm a bit worried. I just always assumed that the Cleveland Clowns drafted like Flippy.

[feltdizz]

It cracks me up how much some accuse the Steelers of panicking....

How many drafts has Colbert overseen? How long do teams have to prepare for the draft?

Rudolph in the first would've been a panic pick IMO.

We had a few safeties to choose from and thought Edmunds was the best one to fit our scheme. How is that a panic pick?

It could end up being the wrong pick if he doesn't pan out but panic pick? not at all

[Captain Lemming]

t

We had a few safeties to choose from and thought Edmunds was the best one to fit our scheme. How is that a panic pick?

It could end up being the wrong pick if he doesn't pan out but panic pick? not at all

True. We drafted a safety when there were SEVERAL similarly and even higher ranked (by so called experts) available. That is not "panic, it is who WE wanted at that point in the draft.
Fact is we TRIED to trade up for an inside linebacker. Clearly we WANTED an upgrade at the position.
A "panic" move would be to "reach" for a linebacker who we had lower on our board than the Edmunds pick.

We didnt "reach" for a safety. There were "plenty available.

Right or wrong we REALLY LIKED one safety and THAT is why Edmunds was drafted 1st.

Proof we dont reach for "position" is the fact that we NEVER drafted a linebacker at all.

Instead we drafted a second big safety over a linebacker, an offensive tackle over a linebacker, and a QB over a linebacker. We might disagree (heck I would "reach" for next best linebacker over a "project" tackle any day) but the fact that the positions drafted seemed somewhat random highlights the fact that we stay true to our board.

BPA on OUR board ....not even a "positions of need" for much of the draft.

Frankly in my view the only "need" pick was receiver after we traded Bryant, but ironically he is like the only guy in the entire draft whose "value" at that spot is never questioned. He was the most consensus BPA of ANYBODY we drafted.

[Steel Maniac]

t

True. We drafted a safety when there were SEVERAL similarly and even higher ranked (by so called experts) available. That is not "panic, it is who WE wanted at that point in the draft.
Fact is we TRIED to trade up for an inside linebacker. Clearly we WANTED an upgrade at the position.
A "panic" move would be to "reach" for a linebacker who we had lower on our board than the Edmunds pick.

We didnt "reach" for a safety. There were "plenty available.

Right or wrong we REALLY LIKED one safety and THAT is why Edmunds was drafted 1st.

Proof we dont reach for "position" is the fact that we NEVER drafted a linebacker at all.

Instead we drafted a second big safety, an offensive tackle, and a QB. We might disagree (heck I would "reach" for next best linebacker over a "project" tackle any day) but the fact that the entire draft seemed somewhat random highlights the fact that we stay true to our board.

Frankly in my view the only "need" pick was receiver after we traded Bryant, but nobody guestions his "value" at that spot.

Me personally, the word "panic" never entered my thought process in the Edmunds pick. Clearly, we thought he was the best of the safety lot. And that was an area of need. And the fact that we didn't take ANY linebackers tells you that Colbert didn't think too much of the linebacker corps after the first 4 highly rated guys; Weather we agree with that is another topic.

The Washington pick has me excited to see how fast he clicks with Ben. But I didn't think he was a need pick because I still have Eli Rogers factored in to man that slot position. I thought we'd be perfectly fine with Mcdonald and Rogers running inside stuff and AB and Juju running the intermediate and deep stuff.

I'm sitting on my hands thou..I'm nervous as hell about our linebacker corps.