LATROBE - Welcome to the NFL.
With veteran safety Morgan Burnett not practicing today, No. 1 pick Terrell Edmunds received a temporary promotion to the first-team defense during the second practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College. Edmunds was on the field for the first four snaps of "Seven Shots," the Steelers' standard practice-opening, two-point conversion/short-yardage drill, and worked with the No. 1s throughout the afternoon.
"It was nice out there," Edmunds said. "It was good to go in there with all the veteran guys. I saw the veterans on offense, too."
The defense won the drill, 4-3, but the offense converted on two of Edmunds' four snaps.
The first came on a catch by wide receiver Justin Hunter in front of Edmunds over the middle.
The second resulted from a catch by tight end Vance McDonald along the sideline the end zone.
Both balls were thrown by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Edmunds said he wasn't in man-to-man coverage on Hunter but acknowledged responsibility for the play McDonald made.
"He got me," Edmunds said. "He put his body on me."
SIX-PACK: With Edmunds replacing Burnett (a third-round pick by Green Bay in 2010), the first-team defense included six former first-round draft picks. Edmunds joined defensive end Cameron Heyward (2011), outside linebacker Bud Dupree (2015), cornerback Artie Burns (2016), outside linebacker T.J. Watt (2017) and cornerback Joe Haden (2010, Cleveland).
The rest of the unit consisted of two former No. 2 picks (defensive end Stephon Tuitt, 2014; and safety Sean Davis, 2016), one sixth-round selection (inside linebacker Vince Williams, 2013), a seventh-round pick (inside linebacker Tyler Matakevich, 2016), and one undrafted free agent (nickel cornerback Mike Hilton, who originally signed with Jacksonville in 2016).
CATCH OF THE DAY: Wide receiver Antonio Brown somehow hauled in a long ball from quarterback Landry Jones along the sideline with cornerback Coty Sensabaugh and safety Malik Golden all over him during an 11-on-11 period. Brown did so by making a one-handed, left-handed, pin-the-ball-to-his-shoulder catch as he was being dragged to the ground by Sensabaugh.
Sensabaugh spent some time taking a knee with his helmet off in the immediate aftermath, seemingly contemplating how what just happened had actually happened, before eventually getting up and tossing is helmet toward the sideline.
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES: Quarterback Mason Rudolph connected on a long touchdown pass to wide receiver James Washington in 11-on-11 work, just as the two had so many times at Oklahoma State. Washington either executed a subtle shove on cornerback Cameron Sutton to create space (the type so many veteran receivers get away with on occasion) or was guilty of offensive pass interference.a
GETTING HIS KICKS: Kicker Chris Boswell went 7-for-8 attempting field goals during special teams work. Boswell was true from 33, 26, 27, 29, 34, 39 and 41 yards away. His last attempt from 43 yards missed wide right.
WELCOME BACK: Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge was among the sideline visitors.
