Tremaine Edmunds – Linebacker
School: Virginia Tech
Class: Junior
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 255 lbs
Tremaine Edmunds NFL Draft Profile
Tremaine Edmunds was a 6’3 200 pound outside linebacker when he committed to play for Virginia Tech. He appeared in six games throughout his freshman year while starting two of them. His last game of 2015 against Tulsa in the Independence Bowl, he had his coming out party. He had five total tackles and two and a half tackles for loss. Edmunds started every game since.
He built upon his momentum from the previous season and had a very strong sophomore and junior season. In 2016, he tallied 94 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, and last year he totaled 108 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
Edmunds transformed from a 6’3 200-pound kid with a ton of potential into a 6’5 and 255-pound man with top 10 talent. His father, Ferrell, was a Pro Bowler so Tremaine has an NFL pedigree.
Upside
Size
Edmunds possesses rare size for a linebacker. He is built more like a 3-4 pass rusher but is a true middle linebacker, in any front. He can be a force in the middle of any defense and with his height, he can see plays developing behind the line of scrimmage.
Speed
Edmunds clocked a 4.5 forty-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Let me repeat that, the 6’5 and 255-pound linebacker ran a 4.5 forty-yard dash. A man of Edmunds’ size is not supposed to be able to put up those kinds of numbers but he did it. This allows him to barrel down on running backs and gives him the ability to string plays out. He closes so fast and it will elevate his play at the next level.
Versatile
As I briefly touched on earlier, Edmunds can play anywhere in a 4-3 but also fits in the middle of a 3-4 due to his speed and athleticism. He rarely has to come off the field during situational downs.
Downside
Play Recognition
There are times when Edmunds fails to accurately dissect a play, whether it be a screen pass or a reverse. When he does recognize a play it’s a beautiful thing but far too often he seems lost.
Pass Coverage
Another area of Edmunds’ game that needs improvement is his work defending the pass. He gets lost while trying to cover but does okay in a zone. He has the athleticism to fix this issue but needs some good coaching and perhaps some veteran leadership in order to do so.
Overview
Tremaine Edmunds is a special player and he will prove that come game time this season. He is remarkably talented but the best thing about him? He is only 19 years old so the sky is limit when it comes to his potential. Let that sink in for a moment. Edmunds played at an elite level collegiately at 17, 18, and 19 years old. We may have not even seen the tip of the iceberg yet.
In three years at Blacksburg he showed tremendous improvement and as he continues to mature physically he will only get better.
NFL Player Comparison
Teams With A Need At Linebacker
Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams
Projection
Miami Dolphins