2024 Stock Watch – RB Daijun Edwards

Player: RB Daijun Edwards

Stock Value: Purchased

Reasoning: The Steelers only recently announced their college free agent signings, with Georgia RB Daijun Edwards among them. He is in good company with former Bulldogs Broderick Jones, George Pickens, and Darnell Washington also on the roster. While there isn’t an obvious roster spot available at running back, Edwards could force the issue. And Cordarrelle Patterson’s function as kick returner makes a fourth running back less unlikely.

The Steelers don’t carry four running backs with great frequency, but it happens enough to make Daijun Edwards’ chances plausible. A rookie college free agent out of Georgia, he gives off some Jaylen Warren vibes. A little taller and lighter yet slower, both running backs offer a complete game.

Warren earned a roster spot in 2022 through his blocking and special teams work. Edwards is also a capable pass protector and has worked on special teams at the college level. Citing Le’Veon Bell as one of his favorite backs to study, he also showed some skills in the receiving department.

Three things work in Edwards’ favor in terms of earning a 53-man roster spot. The most notable is Cordarrelle Patterson, who may not have much of an offensive role. The Steelers signed Patterson to serve as their kick returner, and they may limit him to that or not much more.

They also intend to run the ball quite a lot moving forward, so having more running backs for that purpose just makes sense. Beyond that, Edwards can carve himself out a niche on special teams. If he does that, Danny Smith will pound the table for him.

It’s a year in which the Steelers might be light at wide receiver and with no fullback. Still, running backs are the proverbial dime-a-dozen position. Daijun Edwards is not a player you worry about losing off waivers, either. At least we can say that sitting here in May. But if he showcases himself during the preseason, then they may not want to risk subjecting him to waivers.

As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.

A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.