Profile
Virginia Tech
Linebacker
6’5, 250 pounds
Projection: Top 15
Strengths
The first thing that pops off of the board when you watch Edmunds is his unreal athleticism. For a 6’5, 250-pound behemoth, Edmunds is light on his feet. He uses his lateral quickness to get from sideline to sideline and make plays all over the field. He uses his rare athleticism to easily get off blocks, and make tackles. Edmunds is a big hitter and a strong tackler; he uses his athleticism to make tackles that he shouldn’t be able to make. Lethal when blitzed off of the weak side.
His quickness and speed allow him to blow by most who attempt to block him. He plays a rover role in Virgina Tech’s defense, spying the quarterback if he runs and taking away routes over the middle. His athleticism allows him to stick well in man coverage when he diagnoses the play quickly. Edmunds makes up for his lack of instincts with his insane athleticism.
Weaknesses
Edmunds’ main weakness is his lack of instincts, patience, and mental traits. He struggles at diagnosing plays, is often fooled by play action/misdirection plays, and overpursues runs quite a bit. Edmunds can often make up for misreading the play with his athletic ability at the college level, but I doubt he keeps this up at the pro level. He could put on some more upper and lower body strength to battle with NFL offensive linemen. Edmunds isn’t great in zone coverage; better in man where he can use his athleticism as opposed to his instincts.
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Colts’ Fit
Edmunds slots in perfectly in Matt Eberflus’ new 4-3 defensive scheme as a weakside linebacker. The Colts’ linebacker play was abysmal over the past few seasons, and Edmunds is a step in the right direction. He will be a big impact player in the run game immediately and will be able to stick with many NFL running backs and tight ends going on routes. The Colts’ want to change their philosophy to that of a more mentally and physically tough and disciplined unit, and Edmunds fits perfectly into that scheme. Eberflus will find ways to use Edmunds in creative ways to get him in the backfield and make plays.
Overview
Edmunds is a rare physical specimen at the linebacker position. He will likely test exceptionally well at the combine and at his pro days, shooting up draft boards. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a team take Edmunds in the top five. It’s difficult to compare Edmunds to any current NFL linebacker due to his elite physical traits. Big, athletic linebackers who can cover are a rarity in the NFL, to say the least. Remember, he is only 20. Edmunds will need a good coach to work on his instincts and mental skills, which can be fixed with enough time and training. In the end, Edmunds has all of the makings of a future Pro Bowl linebacker.
