Draft season! Draft season! Draft season! Pardon my excitement, but it’s one of my favorite times of the year. We all get the chance to study and speculate about the new crop of rookies coming in and determine their potential fit with NFL teams, and in this case, the Dallas Cowboys.
This draft season, especially, is shaping up to be an exciting one because the Cowboys have clear needs pretty much across the board. That means there is no clear answer as to which direction they will go with any of their draft picks, especially when they’re on the clock at 19 in the first round.
There is of course one draft need that has to be near the top of the list, if not #1 overall.
There can be no arguing the Dallas Cowboys absolutely need to address the linebacker position, especially with Sean Lee’s continued health concerns and Anthony Hitchens’ potential departure via free agency.
Finding linebacker depth through the draft is a must!
A lot of Cowboys fans have already become enamored with former Georgia Bulldogs LB Roquan Smith, and rightfully so.
Smith will likely be the first linebacker off the board when the 2018 NFL Draft gets underway, which means he won’t be available for the Cowboys at 19.
But don’t be disheartened Cowboys fans, I think there is a linebacker in this draft class who possesses the God-given talent to be even better. Let me introduce you to a linebacker who I believe has Superstar potential.
Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds
Tremaine Edmunds checks all the boxes for an NFL linebacker. He is one of the more intriguing prospects in this entire draft class because of his versatility to play in any scheme. But, most intriguing is he is slated to be the second youngest (19) prospect ever drafted, only Amobi Okoye was younger.
But don’t let his youth fool you; he’s a monster on the field.
Tremaine Edmunds is a natural in so many phases of the game, and it has everything to do with his rare athleticism.
Edmunds has the size of an edge player (6’5″, 250), but the movement/athleticism of the smaller and quicker linebackers we’ve seen become popular around the NFL. To put it simply, he looks like a lion, but moves like a gazelle in the open field with his long strides and flexible hips.
Here’s an example of his loose/flexible hips in coverage.
This isn’t a play you would typically ask a 6’5″, 250-pound man to make, but Tremaine Edmunds makes it look easy.
On this particular play, Edmunds drops into his hook/curl zone coverage. He then realizes the quarterback has decided to pull the ball down and scramble. He shows excellent field awareness and breaks from his coverage responsibility to make the open field tackle on the QB, despite the referee getting in the way.
This play probably wouldn’t have been possible if Edmunds was unable to flip his hips to change direction in order to make the tackle after covering the tight end. He does this with ease.
What I really like about Tremaine Edmunds is his versatility to play in any kind of defensive front/scheme. But, I personally believe he fits best in a 4-3 scheme, which is why I think he makes an excellent Cowboys draft prospect.
I think he fits best in the 4-3 scheme because of all of the different positions he can play. In the 4-3 scheme, Edmunds could play:
MIKE (middle): He has tremendous gap-shooting ability and play anticipation.
SAM (strong-side): He has the ability to stop the run and still drop into coverage.
EDGE: He has the size, athleticism, flexibility, and explosion.
Tremaine Edmunds played all of these positions while at Virginia Tech, and I think he could even play WILL (weak-side) as well, but that’s something he wasn’t asked to do in college.
But, you don’t have to take my word for it.
Edmunds at MIKE:
Here you see Tremaine Edmunds playing the MIKE LB position. He quickly reads and diagnoses the play, shooting the gap to make the tackle for a loss on third down.
It’s an excellent play and shows the God-given talent he was born with. You can’t teach those kind of instincts.
Edmunds at SAM:
On this particular play, Edmunds is lined up at the SAM LB position and has responsibility of covering the running back out of the backfield. Not only does he once again show his loose hips in coverage, but he makes an excellent open-field tackle on third down for a minimal gain to get the defense off the field.
Edmunds at EDGE:
Tremaine Edmunds was also utilized as an edge rusher, at times, while at Virginia Tech. Here you see him lined up in a two-point stance on the defense’s left side.
At the snap of the ball, you can really see his first-step explosion, natural bend and athleticism.
The TE trying to block him had no chance, and Edmunds probably would have gotten the sack if not for the slight hold and the QB’s ability to get rid of the ball quickly.
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As you can see, Tremaine Edmunds is an intriguing prospect for the Dallas Cowboys, and could probably start right away at the SAM LB position while also providing much-needed depth in other areas.
He’s not a polished prospect by any means, he’s still raw, but I believe he has the upside to be one of the great ones.
If I were to compare him to a current NFL player, I would compare him to either Anthony Barr (Vikings) or Jamie Collins (Browns). Both players have been successful as inside linebackers as well as edge players in the NFL, and that’s what I envision Edmunds will do in his career.
I think Edmunds is going to open a lot of eyes once we get further into the draft process, especially after he puts on a show at the combine. He will likely shoot up draft boards, which means he should be in play for the Dallas Cowboys with the 19th overall selection. I have absolutely zero concerns about taking him there.
What do you think about Tremaine Edmunds as a Cowboys draft prospect?
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Brian it would be GOD sent if Edmunds is still on the board at 19. But what if Vea the DT is there as well. Who do you select?
If it was me it would be DT and draft a LB in rd 2. Just my 2 cents.
I think I’d still have to go LB in that scenario. Edmunds ability to play several positions is just too good to pass up, especially with the lack of depth the Cowboys have there. I think you can find a pretty solid 1-tech later in the draft. But, I wouldn’t be upset if they took Vea. He’s a monster on the interior of the DL.
I like Edmunds football IQ. He seems to understand what the offense is trying to do each play. That was one of my problems with Roquan Smith. Smith has athleticism, but he was more reactionary. Edmunds seems to start going before the play is finished developing.
I’d pick Edmunds over Vea or Smith at this point.
I really like Edmunds football IQ. I still have Smith rated higher, but not by much. It would be a tough call for me if I had to decide between the two if they are both there at 19.
I put a lot more stock in football IQ than I do athleticism. If you can get both, you’ve hit the lottery.
When watching Smith play, he seemed too reactionary to me, using his athleticism to make up the time delay. He reminds me of Carter out of NC years ago. Great athlete and did alright in college, but his athleticism covered his football IQ, clearly reacting to the play after it’s developed.
I haven’t watched much of Edmunds, but based on the videos you show here, he seems to be moving before the play is developed. This seems more much like Sean Lee to me. The bonus is that with his athletic body, he can do more damage and get players much deeper behind the line.
Give me football IQ every day. Athleticism will wane over time, but football IQ will make you a hall of famer.
What I like most about Edmunds is his versatility to play different positions, whereas Smith is most likely just a weak side LB. I’m not sure Smith could stand up to playing MLB.
I noticed he played SAM almost as effectively as Lee plays the WILL. I didn’t see if he was good at shedding blocks. How’s his skill at that?
He’s still a little raw in that area. He needs to do a better job of finding off blocks, he sometimes lazy, but that will improve with NFL coaching I think.
Block shedding seems to be an issue for a lot of college players. Is it due to the type of college offenses being so pass oriented?
The spread offense a lot of college teams use has a lot to do with LBs struggling with stack and shedding. But, I think it has more to do with coaching and learning the proper technique. There is so much turnover year after year in the college ranks that coaches just don’t have the time to stress the importance of fundamentals/technique.
You know, I think that’s one of the reasons there are so many more concussions in football today. Kids aren’t being taught to break down and tackle with their heads up. Most lead with their helmets or a combination of helmet and shoulder. And so many DB’s just dive head first into an offensive players legs or feet. We were taught to keep your eyes on the opponents number, lead with the shoulder and wrap up, then lift and drive. Fundamentals have gone by the wayside in so many things.
The ironic thing about your article was that everything you said about Tremaine, you could say about Hitchens. They are like clones of each other on several aspects. Imagine the Cowboys with 2 Hitchens or if you prefer 2 Edmunds. The other ironic thing is that, in a roundabout way, we are saying Hitchens is worth a 1st round pick. I mean, aren’t we? I just don’t see how/why we wouldn’t resign him and draft Edmunds. Right now our roster has Lee, Smith and Wilson @ LB. That’s it. Even resigning Hitchens and drafting Edmunds would only give us 5 LBs. After this season, you content with 5 LBs? Me neither. Would they draft 2 LBs? Josey is still in the wings, waiting! Great article.
I think Edmunds is going to be better than Anthony Hitchens. I think he has Superstar potential. I do think however that the Cowboys should probably double dip at LB in the draft. They definitely need depth at the position.
Very possible, a superstar. I hope so, especially if we draft him. All I’m saying is that Tremaine will take time to develop in the NFL. We will still need the experience of a veteran, like Hitchens. I sense folks think Anthony is of little value. Maybe I am being over sensitive, With Lee at 32, we need to hold on to Hitchens, even if we draft 2 LBs
I would love to keep Hitchens, but I think somebody else will offer him more money than the Cowboys can afford.
And I think that’s because our GM (or lack of one) pays average to above average players like superstars. I never understood why Jones gave Tyrone Crawford that huge contract.
At the time it looked like a good signing, but Crawford never progressed in his development. Unfortunately, that’s just the way things go sometimes and what worries me about signing DeMarcus Lawrence long-term. His back surgeries are a huge red flag for me.
Now, though, Crawford is playing much better. Amazing what time and being surrounded by more talent can do for a player, isn’t it Sean? Hopefully Irving will help even more!