It’s clear the Pittsburgh Steelers were highly interested in the 2018 NFL Draft safety class. They, of course, drafted Terrell Edmunds’ 28th overall, to the surprise of many who pegged him as a Day Two candidate. In 2019, they made the historic move of trading a first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick, taken 11th overall that year. And in Bleacher Report’s 2018 re-draft, they did things over by giving Pittsburgh safety Jessie Bates, a player the team showed plenty of interest in but did not choose the first time around.
Author Gary Davenport explains the pick:
“So while the Pittsburgh Steelers are still fortifying the defensive backfield in this 2018 redo, one of the Edmunds is getting thrown back—in favor of a safety who has been both more productive and more versatile.