Chicago Bears: Which edge prospect fits best at No. 8 overall?
Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
For my money, there’s so much to like about Edmunds that this would be the pick I’d expect if the Chicago Bears missed on Quenton Nelson, Bradley Chubb or other top guys who could fall.
And yes, I’m well aware of Edmunds’ shortcomings as a player. For all his elite athleticism, he still has a ton to learn about playing linebacker at age 19.
Right now, he’s mainly running around and just making plays. He can be fooled on play fakes, makes inconsistent run fits and sometimes can lose his coverage assignments. That last part especially has led to some very teachable moments.
As such, the Bears and any team that takes him must know that he has a ton of development ahead of him.
That said, if the Chicago Bears truly want the best player/prospect available that isn’t a Nelson or Chubb, Edmunds has to be in that discussion up near No. 8.
His size (6-foot-5, 253 pounds)/speed (4.54-second 40)/length (34 1/2-inch arms) numbers are just ridiculous for a linebacker.
With those physical gifts, he has the versatility to play either inside or outside linebacker. If he were with the Bears, he could even play a similar role to Floyd, who drops frequently into coverage. That could free up either one to rush the passer more.
In particular, playing Edmunds as an edge rusher rather than moving him closer to the ball to start his career could make the game come to him a little easier. Get him on the field for pass-rushing downs, have him hunt the quarterback as his main responsibility and let him set the edge/cover the flats. He can probably handle that relatively early on.
Plus, his age also works positively in his case, as he has plenty of time to learn and develop if fewer miles on his body. Given some of the plays he was already making at that young age, you have to be curious about what he can do when he actually learns how to play football.
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And that’s the tantalizing part: a fully realized Edmunds could be a truly game-changing player at the linebacker position. Neither Landry nor Davenport and touch that upside.
But for now, though, it’s just upside. And it’s still unclear if the Chicago Bears want to take a chance on that yet.