Tremaine Edmunds wasn’t necessarily a massive star at Virginia Tech but his upside is off the charts and he’s going to be a high NFL Draft pick.
I love this time of the year when players emerge in the pre-draft process and NFL fans and draft junkies are going back to study certain players they overlooked. Perhaps the best case of that in the 2018 NFL Draft class is Virginia Tech linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds.
While Virginia Tech is a big-name program, and a program back on the rise under head coach Justin Fuente, his star linebacker wasn’t really a household name. Edmunds earned third-team AP All-American honors after recording 108 tackles, 14 for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Edmunds was certainly a big name in Virginia and in the ACC cities he terrorized opposing offenses, but the casual fan didn’t know much about him. So when they started seeing Edmunds’ name in the top 10 of many NFL mock drafts after the season, a lot of people were left to wonder, “Who is Tremaine Edmunds?”
Below, I’ll answer that question with my insight from watching his three-year career with the Hokies and determine where he’ll be picked in the draft and what type of player he can grow into when he reaches his prime.
Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker, Virginia Tech
Edmunds may have more potential than any defender in this class. He’s a physical marvel at 6-5 and 255 pounds and showed off his speed, agility and strength at the combine.
He’s well-coached under Bud Foster at Virginia Tech and should be a better pro than he was a college player as he masters the finer points of the game and settles on a position.
Edmunds has the versatility to be an inside linebacker in an odd or even front but his best position is likely on the outside in a 3-4 front. There he can use his speed to chase down backs and tight ends out of the backfield in coverage and attack the quarterback as a blitzer.
The biggest concern for Edmunds is his penchant to rely on his athleticism and makes mental errors. Nevertheless, he’s so gifted that he can overcompensate and still make plays. Once he can correct these flaws, he has the chance to be a perennial All-Pro.
Draft Projection: Top 7-12