After a string of successful drafts, the Pittsburgh Steelers have multiple Pro Bowlers under the age of 25 on their roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers rely heavily on their aging veterans, but that might be changing. A string of recent successful draft classes produced several starters Pittsburgh can rely on in the future. Today, we’ll examine the best members of this crop of new talent.
There are several Steelers players under 25 who won’t appear on this list because of when their birthdays are. To meet the parameters for this article, players must still be under 25 on Sept. 10, when the 2020 season kicks off.
Second-year running back Benny Snell Jr. and third-year wide receiver James Washington both qualified for this article, but neither cracked the top five. Instead, they’ll settle for honorable mentions. Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool qualified as well, but he’s not showing up on any lists until he’s appeared in a meaningful game.
The top five players consist of two members from the 2019 draft class, two members of the 2018 class, and even a player who heard his name called in 2017.
First up is a controversial player who could develop into a quality starter or find himself looking for a new team in a few summers.
5. Terrell Edmunds, S
Pittsburgh selected Terrell Edmunds with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and the immediate question on the minds of all Steelers fans was “why”? Bleacher Report’s lead draft writer, Matt Miller, gave Edmunds a 6.00 draft grade on a 9.00 scale and predicted he would go late in the third round. Instead, Pittsburgh took him two rounds earlier.
Through two seasons, Edmunds has shown he can tackle but isn’t performing well in coverage. Edmunds allowed a 139.1 passer rating when targeted in 2019, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In comparison, Minkah Fitzpatrick allowed a 43.1, and the second-highest rating allowed was by Mike Hilton at 84.8.
It’s also worth noting that Edmunds played 1,036 defensive snaps last season, which accounted for 96 percent of Pittsburgh’s defensive plays. He did not force a single turnover. There’s still time for the 23-year-old to get his act together, but Edmunds could go the way of Artie Burns and Sean Davis if he doesn’t improve.
4. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Nearing his 24th birthday, Diontae Johnson performed the best among Pittsburgh’s wide receivers in 2019. The rookie third-round pick led the Steelers with 59 receptions and five receiving touchdowns. His 680 receiving yards finished second on the team, only trailing James Washington’s 735.
While he put together respectable rookie receiving numbers, Johnson earned a Second-Team All-Pro selection as a punt returner. Taking over for Ryan Switzer, Johnson returned 20 punts for 248 yards and a touchdown. He also had the league’s longest punt return last year, an 85-yard score against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14.
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While Johnson is receiving a lot of love from Steelers fans this offseason, let’s wait and see how he does in Year 2. Still, the Toledo product does a great job creating space on the perimeter. He seems like the perfect target for a rejuvenated Ben Roethlisberger.
3. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers found a gem when they selected JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, after amassing 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018, Smith-Schuster posted the worst numbers of his career last season. While missing Antonio Brown and Roethlisberger played a role in Smith-Schuster’s down season, there’s much more to it.
In his third season, Smith-Schuster struggled to create separation against defensive backs. While he torched defenses in the slot during his first two years, playing outside pit Smith-Schuster against tougher coverages. While Smith-Schuster can excel in the pros, he’s better suited as a No. 2 option at wide receiver, which would allow him to operate in the slot instead of out wide.
Despite already appearing in three seasons, Smith-Schuster is only 23 years old. He’s hitting the gym hard this summer and hopes to prove his down year in 2019 was only a fluke.
2. Devin Bush Jr., LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Last year, the Steelers traded their 2019 first-round pick, a 2019 second-round pick, and a 2020 third-round pick so they could move up in the draft and take Devin Bush at 10th overall. Bush joined Hall-of-Fame safety Troy Polamalu as one of the rare defensive players Pittsburgh has traded up in the first-round for since the turn of the century.
As a rookie, Bush delivered on expectations. The heir to Ryan Shazier’s role in the middle, Bush accumulated two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 109 tackles. He did struggle in coverage at times and needs to work on wrapping up ball carriers more, but Bush’s rookie season was an overwhelming success.
If Bush continues working on his pass coverage, the soon-to-be 22-year-old could find himself earning Pro Bowl selections before the end of his rookie contract.
1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers made an oddly-timed decision last fall when they elected to trade their 2020 first-round draft pick, a conditional 2020 fifth-round draft pick and a conditional 2021 sixth-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick, a 2020 fourth-round draft pick and a 2021 seventh-round draft. However, the move paid dividends.
After a promising rookie campaign with the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick took his game to a new level in Pittsburgh. The former Chuck Bednarik Award winner logged five interceptions, nine passes defensed, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns with the Steelers. The Associated Press selected Fitzpatrick as a First-Team All-Pro alongside New York’s Jamal Adams.
Fitzpatrick brought new energy to Pittsburgh’s defense last year. After searching for an heir to Polamalu for years, the Steelers finally have another superstar safety. At 23 years old, Fitzpatrick could continue improving his game and play an even larger role in Pittsburgh’s defense in the future.