Can teammates and pedigree help earn Edwards 53-man spot

by Bo Marchionte
Published May 23, 2024, 03:57 PM

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Steelers recently added veteran La’Mical Perine providing another off-season running back in addition to the two others in veteran Jonathan Ward and UDFA rookie Daijun Edwards. 

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are the two incumbent lead running backs in Pittsburgh. Both provide a hard-nosed physical style runner. Neither are considered that quick twitch, change of pace type runner for the Steelers. 

Ward and Perine both entered the league in 2020, with little production since entering the National Football League. Combined both Ward (69) and Perine (340) have combined for 409 rushing yards along with one start made by Perine for the Kansas City Chiefs last season. 

This is where Edwards might have a slight advantage, despite not having the tenure in the league as both Ward and Perine. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith may envision the use of the rookie from Norman Park, Georgia. 

“It feels good,” Edwards said after wrapping his first day of Organized Team Activities. “A dream come true.”

The dream of playing in the National Football League was something that inspired Edwards as a toddler where his exceptional talent shined during his days of pop warner with the skillset to score five or six touchdowns per game. He became a four-star prospect according to 247Sports and was ranked as the #21 running back nationally, prior to his arrival at Georgia.

He laughed at his locker and replied “Yes sir” when confirming that what got him to Georgia to play for the Bulldogs and carry the football 390 for 2,083 rushing yards along with 24 touchdowns since 2020, was what got him to camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He led all Bulldogs in yards from scrimmage this past season (1,078) after leading the team in rushing (881) and hauling in 20 catches for 197 yards. A savvy cut back runner for the two-time national champions, he remains relatively off the radar of individuals in Steelers camp. 

“I can do everything out of the backfield,” Edwards said. “I’m a shifty back and I can catch the ball pretty well. I can run routes and block pretty well. So, just being a complete back and good special teams’ player.”

This is by no means an overzealous player talking about himself. Edwards was very kind. However, he’s not very talkative and kept his responses brief. He wasn’t about to ramble on about himself.

Modestly used at Georgia, Edwards has little wear and tear on his 5-foot-10 and 207-pound frame. He carried the ball 20 times just twice in a single game during his Bulldog career in 2023 that resulted in two of his four career one-hundred-yard rushing performances. 

He is exceptionally athletic, displaying remarkable prowess and skill. Despite his impressive abilities, he remains incredibly humble and shows a genuine laid-back shy attitude. Nothing flamboyant to show except when he is on the field. 

“We’ve always had a little bit of a connection between us,” Broderick Jones said of his former college teammate now pro teammate. “We actually played in the Under Armour. I really don’t remember it. But yeah, we definitely came in together (Georgia).

“Always in the trenches together, him being behind me, trusting him and him trusting me just to be able to open the hole for him and him being able to hit that hole all the time. I feel like we’ve got a relationship with all our running backs, you know, because at Georgia, we tried to overemphasize running the football.”

Jones, George Pickens, and Darnell Washington have all been drafted by the Steelers since the 2022 NFL Draft. Edwards is an extension of the Bulldogs high-end pedigree of talent to influx the league since their recent reign as one of the top programs in the country. 

The sight of some familiar faces is surely a benefit for Edwards who has zero NFL experience and faces the daunting task of making the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie. However, we’ve seen it time and time again maybe he follows in the footsteps of Warren who found himself in the same situation going undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2022. 

“It’s fun just having us all back here,” Jones said after Thursday’s final OTA of the week. “We’ll just see where it takes us.”

The collective futures of Jones, Pickens and Washington are secure in Pittsburgh. It’s the unknown of Edwards moving forward that leaves the group in limbo on if four Bulldogs will suit up offensively for Pittsburgh this season.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com