Player Profile: Tremaine Edmunds has Hall of Fame Upside at Linebacker

2018 Stampede Blue NFL Draft Guide Player Profile

Tremaine Edmunds could Play All Over the Field for the Colts Front Seven

There are very few athletes who have the combination of size and speed that 19 year old Tremaine Edmunds brings to the field. His length could make him particularly disruptive in short zones against the pass. His speed allows him to make plays from sideline-to-sideline and to flip into coverage against tight ends if he needs to do so. He also has the physical attributes that could translate to being a nasty situational pass rusher in the NFL.

Trying to figure out where he fits could be the biggest dilemma for teams considering him at the top of the draft. He is not particularly cerebral as this point in his career and currently lacks the mind for the game that Roquan Smith brings to a team. Of course, this could certainly be addressed as he isn’t even 20 years old and has plenty of time to get things figured out in a new system. His physical attributes allow him to make up for some of his cerebral shortcomings.

The upside potential for Edmunds is ridiculously high. He has drawn comparisons to former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, one of the most dominant middle linebackers in the history of the NFL. The floor is a little harder to peg for me. It is not outside the realm of possibility that Edmunds fails to reach his potential. Maybe he’ll never fully figure it out from the mental side of the game. Maybe he’ll always be a player without a position. Where does he fit?

He strikes me as the type of guy who could make a solid transition to a pass rushing outside linebacker or to defensive end in the 4-3. If he doesn’t have the mental aspect of the game figured out, he is a scary option at middle linebacker. He could play on the weak side and Eberflus could turn him loose to wreak havoc with his speed and athleticism. He could also turn out to not be particularly great at any one of these things and simply average at the professional level at a variety of things.

How would you feel about taking a gamble with the sixth overall pick? You could end up with Brian Urlacher or Quenton Coryatt. It is a tough decision to make but there is a ton of clay to be molded with a player like Edmunds and he could certainly be the type of guy other team’s circle as they prepare to play the Colts.