My fear of Tremaine Edmunds

[danlhart87]

Tremaine Edmunds is an exciting prospect, one of the best in this class!

 

His true weakness is his patience! He often attacks the middle with no sight of outside runs that often led to big gains.

 

I say this because his rookie year will obviously have ups and downs but with the correct coaching could be a force!

 

I'm calling upon you Eberflus! Take this kid and turn him into a monster!

[Clem-Dog]

I fear he could be the next Coryatt.  Hard to know for sure.

[bananabucket]

His instincts and processing are trash right now compared to Roquan's.  Seriously, watch their tape back to back.  It is night and day.  Though Edmunds did seem to improve in this area towards the end of the year.

 

I don't really want a player who COULD be special so long as they develop.   There are plenty of safer bets to choose from at 6.  If we trade down to 11 or 12 and he's still there, I'd be much more willing to take the gamble.  I just worry Ballard will get enamored with his elite traits and will take him over superior players. 

 

[HectorRoberts]

Edmunds definitely has the higher celling but also the lower basement when compared to roquan. I like him a lot but he will definitely take a lot more time to develope

[BProland85]

I still like Roquan Smith over Edmunds and if Ballard traded down and wanted an impact LB I’d want it to be Smith. Smith excels over Edmunds in instincts, speed, cover ability, and leadership. 

[FalseStart]

My fear with this guy is that he is more Brian Bosworth than Brian Urlacher.  The main reason I like Raquon Smith...aside from the wonderful game tape...is that he reminds me of a 5 star version of Gary Brackett...and Gary was a great Colt.  Colts want a Mike, Malik Jefferson will be there in the second.

[WarGhost21]

I'm more afraid of Smith than Edmunds. Too often on tape you see Smith getting eaten up by blocks due to his smaller frame. If he gets a decent block placed on him, he is effectively out of the play. Smith does have the better knowledge for the game, but Edmunds is a better athlete who can cover nearly as well as Smith and do so with the size of a tight end. Yes, Smith could be a perennial pro bowler, but Edmunds could be a perennial first team all-pro type player. There is nothing like him to ever come into the NFL, and I don't know if there ever will be again.

 

Also, I'm not worried about Edmunds due to the fact that our DC was just the LB coach of one of the better linebacking cores in the NFL last season. Eberflus will develop him, and if you get Edmunds anywhere close to Smith's instincts

, he could be the best LB of all time. I'd run the risk of Edmunds over Smith any day.

 

21 minutes ago, FalseStart said:

My fear with this guy is that he is more Brian Bosworth than Brian Urlacher.  The main reason I like Raquon Smith...aside from the wonderful game tape...is that he reminds me of a 5 star version of Gary Brackett...and Gary was a great Colt.  Colts want a Mike, Malik Jefferson will be there in the second.

 

Malik Jefferson scares me way to much for me to even consider taking him in the second. He is horrific at defending the pass and isn't altogether great at plugging the middle. His only good characteristic is that he's fast and can get outside on outside runs. He is way too overhyped in my opinion.

 

30 minutes ago, BProland85 said:

I still like Roquan Smith over Edmunds and if Ballard traded down and wanted an impact LB I’d want it to be Smith. Smith excels over Edmunds in instincts, speed, cover ability, and leadership. 

 

How about Edmunds' pros? Tight end size, superb speed for that size, more overall athleticism, and, I'm just going to keep quoting this on every thread, in college "He didn't know what the hell was going on half the time and was still the best player on the field!"

 

1 hour ago, bananabucket said:

His instincts and processing are trash right now compared to Roquan's.  Seriously, watch their tape back to back.  It is night and day.  Though Edmunds did seem to improve in this area towards the end of the year.

 

I don't really want a player who COULD be special so long as they develop.   There are plenty of safer bets to choose from at 6.  If we trade down to 11 or 12 and he's still there, I'd be much more willing to take the gamble.  I just worry Ballard will get enamored with his elite traits and will take him over superior players. 

 

 

Sure, don't take him at 6 unless our top 3 are gone and we can't find a trade partner (which is highly unlikely), but even if we just trade down to 8, 9, or 10, I'd take him there. Too much raw talent to pass up.

[MikeCurtis]

I am all in to get Edwards at 6

 

But....... he needs to learn MANY things to be a great player

 

There have been so many "cant misses" in the draft over the years

 

He COULD miss..... (I doubt it)  but...... I will hold off on the parades until he hits the field and actually

does something... wearing the BLUE 

 

I think Smith can be amazing as well..... not as a MLB, but as a Weak side LB.

 

 

I also dont think we are trading the 6th pick.........  

 

Cleveland needs help and is sitting at 4........  They will probably get their QB at pick one

 

Buffalo goes to that pick after offering a STUPID amount of picks... and takes the last, tradable QB

 

Denver will take Chubb 

 

We take....... Edwards

 

[Hoose]

You take Edwards over Saquon Barkley? Not me. 

[danlhart87]

If Roquon gains 10 to 15 lbs he would be the obvious choice but preferably in a trade down. 

[SolidGold]

Edmunds is and will be the youngest player ever drafted into the NFL I believe. He's 19 yrs old. The awesomeness and the mistakes we've  seen was from a 18 yr old kid. He's a monster. That's our future MLB. We have Eberflus to put that Midas touch on him.IMO if it wasn't a QB frenzy this year he would go top 5. 

[Shive]

11 hours ago, WarGhost21 said:

I'm more afraid of Smith than Edmunds. Too often on tape you see Smith getting eaten up by blocks due to his smaller frame. If he gets a decent block placed on him, he is effectively out of the play. Smith does have the better knowledge for the game, but Edmunds is a better athlete who can cover nearly as well as Smith and do so with the size of a tight end. Yes, Smith could be a perennial pro bowler, but Edmunds could be a perennial first team all-pro type player. There is nothing like him to ever come into the NFL, and I don't know if there ever will be again.

There's been a ton of athletic freaks come into the league and a good number of them never work out. It's great to think of what Edmunds could become, but just as high as his ceiling is, his floor is just as low. With Smith, you know one of his only weaknesses is shedding blocks. It's simple, keep him at WILL to maximize his strengths and minimize his weakness.

 

Quote

Malik Jefferson scares me way to much for me to even consider taking him in the second. He is horrific at defending the pass and isn't altogether great at plugging the middle. His only good characteristic is that he's fast and can get outside on outside runs. He is way too overhyped in my opinion.

Not saying they're identical prospects, but that's the same thing Edmunds is being hyped for as well. Edmunds covers well, but doesn't plug the middle or play the run game well at all. Malik's issues are all coachable issues and I think a guy with his upside should definitely be drafted in the 2nd.

 

Quote

How about Edmunds' pros? Tight end size, superb speed for that size, more overall athleticism, and, I'm just going to keep quoting this on every thread, in college "He didn't know what the hell was going on half the time and was still the best player on the field!"

That means he got by on pure athleticism. That doesn't work in the NFL. If the best thing you can say about a player is that he was the best player on the field only because he was more athletic than the guys he was playing against, I wouldn't use that as your punchline for him.

 

 

This all isn't to say that I don't like Edmunds or what he brings to the table, I just feel like he's being overhyped based solely on his upside. Side-by-side, Roquan Smith is far and away the better LB right now. Edmunds could get better, but he's still a project player that people are billing as a perennial All-Pro. Smith will most likely be starting WILL instantly. Edmunds could take years to develop the instincts needed to play LB at the NFL level and may not even start for a year or 2.

 

What I don't get is that this board, for the most part, hated the TJ Green pick and most still do. He was a guy that had size and speed at the Safety position that you rarely saw. He needed technical refinement, but was taken in the 2nd round. Edmunds has a bit more production and has a bit more starting experience than Green, but they're both size/speed guys that were/are being over-hyped based on their upside. The big difference is that one went in the 2nd, the other is being talked about as a Top 10 pick.

[LockeDown]

Instincts are not taught.  You either have them or you don't.  He can learn what to do in situations through practice.  I wouldn't draft someone based on NFL coaches teaching them or coaching them up.  NFL coaches assume a certain level of understanding from the player and it's up to the player to learn. Hanging with team leaders, asking questions..watching tape..I would be making sure Edmunds has that mental desire to be great.  I think that's more important going forward, 

[Shive]

9 minutes ago, SolidGold said:

Edmunds is and will be the youngest player ever drafted into the NFL I believe. He's 19 yrs old. The awesomeness and the mistakes we've  seen was from a 18 yr old kid. He's a monster.

His birthday is May 2. He'll be 20 a week after the draft. He still had 3 years of college play, just like everyone else in this draft. That whole age thing is completely overblown. Most of the players being evaluated in this draft were 18-19 when they played..

[SolidGold]

1 minute ago, Shive said:

His birthday is May 2. He'll be 20 a week after the draft. He still had 3 years of college play, just like everyone else in this draft. That whole age thing is completely overblown. Most of the players being evaluated in this draft were 18-19 when they played..

When drafted, Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds (19 years old) will be the youngest player selected since Louisville DT Amobi Okoye

u/TheFencingCoachMar 29, 2018, 6:24 AM

Amobi Okoye was selected with the 10th overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was 19 years, 10 months, and 18 days old, and the youngest player ever drafted.

Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds is expected to be a 1st round pick in this upcoming draft. If selected in Round 1 (as expected), he would 19 years, 11 months, 24 days on April 26, making him the youngest player drafted since Okoye.

Disclaimer: This fact may become an addition to the r/NFL facts starter pack, which includes "Jimmy Graham and Antonio Gates played basketball in college," "Cameron Brate and Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard," and "Marcus Mariota's first playoff TD pass was to himself."

[Shive]

7 minutes ago, SolidGold said:

When drafted, Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds (19 years old) will be the youngest player selected since Louisville DT Amobi Okoye

u/TheFencingCoachMar 29, 2018, 6:24 AM

Amobi Okoye was selected with the 10th overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was 19 years, 10 months, and 18 days old, and the youngest player ever drafted.

Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds is expected to be a 1st round pick in this upcoming draft. If selected in Round 1 (as expected), he would 19 years, 11 months, 24 days on April 26, making him the youngest player drafted since Okoye.

Disclaimer: This fact may become an addition to the r/NFL facts starter pack, which includes "Jimmy Graham and Antonio Gates played basketball in college," "Cameron Brate and Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard," and "Marcus Mariota's first playoff TD pass was to himself."

I didn't say you were wrong. I said the age thing was being overblown. He's played the same 3 years as everyone else and isn't that much younger than everyone else.

[SolidGold]

And he probably won't hit peak physical form for about 2 years. That's scary. Urlacher was 2 or 3 years older than Edmunds coming into the league and that's his comparison. IMO he will be better than Urlacher. 

[NewColtsFan]

5 hours ago, danlhart87 said:

Tremaine Edmunds is an exciting prospect, one of the best in this class!

 

His true weakness is his patience! He often attacks the middle with no sight of outside runs that often led to big gains.

 

I say this because his rookie year will obviously have ups and downs but with the correct coaching could be a force!

 

I'm calling upon you Eberflus! Take this kid and turn him into a monster!

 

Whatever issues Edmunds has...  odds are their correctable...    he could be coached up...

 

I'm not sure there is reason to worry about him at this point in time...

 

 

 

[SolidGold]

He's already a physical freak, dude is just a little raw from a decision-making standpoint, but that should come in time with more experience and good coaching. Look how good he is already and he doesn't even know how to play the position hahaha. 

 

[SolidGold]

 

[Shive]

20 minutes ago, SolidGold said:

And he probably won't hit peak physical form for about 2 years. That's scary. Urlacher was 2 or 3 years older than Edmunds coming into the league and that's his comparison. IMO he will be better than Urlacher. 

Urlacher was a consensus All American and Heisman Finalist. He was legitimately one of the best college players in the country with the production and film to warrant getting drafted at 9 overall.

 

Edmunds is just over an inch taller and ran the 40 .05 seconds faster than Urlacher, but Urlacher benched 8 more than Edmunds and jumped 5 inches longer in the broad jump.

 

So he isn't really more athletic than Urlacher was and doesn't have anywhere NEAR the college production that Urlacher had. What makes you think he'll be a better player than Urlacher?

[Surge89]

I'm trying to figure out when Edmunds all of a sudden became a future only player and his current form trash?!?!?  Apparently y'all haven't watched the tape because Edmunds is close to Roquan right now.  He reads well his "instincts" issue is so overblown because he bit wrong on option plays.  Big whoop.  Edmunds is great in coverage now, he's great at the PoA now, he's a great blitzer now and he is a decent tackler right now (only part I need shored up on him is less arm tackles and more authority in his tackles).  Those saying he's all projection are so off it's insane.  He's close to Roquan right now and by far second best linebacker in the draft but what is getting him into the top 5 talk is that he has room to be better and better in a very big way. 

 

The whole comment about he was "best on the field and didn't know what was going on" is ill informed at best.  He has a great read on offenses and shows good scheme knowledge and a great nose for direction of the play.  But people say dumb stuff like this because he guesses wrong on an option play when he was the blitzing linebacker... Eye flipping roll...

[SolidGold]

7 minutes ago, Shive said:

Urlacher was a consensus All American and Heisman Finalist. He was legitimately one of the best college players in the country with the production and film to warrant getting drafted at 9 overall.

 

Edmunds is just over an inch taller and ran the 40 .05 seconds faster than Urlacher, but Urlacher benched 8 more than Edmunds and jumped 5 inches longer in the broad jump.

 

So he isn't really more athletic than Urlacher was and doesn't have anywhere NEAR the college production that Urlacher had. What makes you think he'll be a better player than Urlacher?

Edmunds 2 years one position. 213 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 10 sacks and an interception. 

 

Urlacher 4 years 2 different positions on defense. 442 tackles, three interceptions, 11 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles.

 

Urlacher IMO had the easier competition as well. ACC- Mountain west

[Surge89]

29 minutes ago, Shive said:

Urlacher was a consensus All American and Heisman Finalist. He was legitimately one of the best college players in the country with the production and film to warrant getting drafted at 9 overall.

 

Edmunds is just over an inch taller and ran the 40 .05 seconds faster than Urlacher, but Urlacher benched 8 more than Edmunds and jumped 5 inches longer in the broad jump.

 

So he isn't really more athletic than Urlacher was and doesn't have anywhere NEAR the college production that Urlacher had. What makes you think he'll be a better player than Urlacher?

 

This is wrong. I'll just say that.

[Surge89]

3 hours ago, danlhart87 said:

If Roquon gains 10 to 15 lbs he would be the obvious choice but preferably in a trade down. 

 

So a linebacker who comes in at 6'1" and 236lbs needs to gain another 15 pounds?  He's perfect size and weight for a WILL linebacker.  Why would you draft him to turn him into something he's not?  If you are looking to draft an elite WILL linebacker that is close to finished product then you draft Smith even at 6 and enjoy the player you received. 

 

 

[SolidGold]

And Urlacher being drafted 9 th in the 2000 draft isn't saying much. Look who was drafted 1st overall that year. The talent in this years draft is by far way better than 2000. This years 2nd round will have better talent than the 1st round of 2000. And Urlacher wasn't the first LB taken in the draft.

[SolidGold]

3 hours ago, danlhart87 said:

If Roquon gains 10 to 15 lbs he would be the obvious choice but preferably in a trade down. 

For what position ? If you want a true MLB it's Edmunds.  If you want a true OLB it's Smith. But only one can play both positions at the NFL level IMO and that's Edmunds. And how is it obvious ? One has a high motor and moves fast to the ball with no hesitation. The other gets blocked off the ball 20 yards down field. Roquon for a pancake eating contest is the obvious choice. Imagine him running into Nelson at the NFL level... Spatula , shovel , pooper scooper, paleontologists.

[danlhart87]

1 hour ago, Surge89 said:

 

So a linebacker who comes in at 6'1" and 236lbs needs to gain another 15 pounds?  He's perfect size and weight for a WILL linebacker.  Why would you draft him to turn him into something he's not?  If you are looking to draft an elite WILL linebacker that is close to finished product then you draft Smith even at 6 and enjoy the player you received. 

 

 

I thought he was 225 I was wrong apparently 

[SolidGold]

3 hours ago, Shive said:

There's been a ton of athletic freaks come into the league and a good number of them never work out. It's great to think of what Edmunds could become, but just as high as his ceiling is, his floor is just as low. With Smith, you know one of his only weaknesses is shedding blocks. It's simple, keep him at WILL to maximize his strengths and minimize his weakness. Smith is 

 

Not saying they're identical prospects, but that's the same thing Edmunds is being hyped for as well. Edmunds covers well, but doesn't plug the middle or play the run game well at all. Malik's issues are all coachable issues and I think a guy with his upside should definitely be drafted in the 2nd.

 

That means he got by on pure athleticism. That doesn't work in the NFL. If the best thing you can say about a player is that he was the best player on the field only because he was more athletic than the guys he was playing against, I wouldn't use that as your punchline for him.

 

 

This all isn't to say that I don't like Edmunds or what he brings to the table, I just feel like he's being overhyped based solely on his upside. Side-by-side, Roquan Smith is far and away the better LB right now. Edmunds could get better, but he's still a project player that people are billing as a perennial All-Pro. Smith will most likely be starting WILL instantly. Edmunds could take years to develop the instincts needed to play LB at the NFL level and may not even start for a year or 2.

 

What I don't get is that this board, for the most part, hated the TJ Green pick and most still do. He was a guy that had size and speed at the Safety position that you rarely saw. He needed technical refinement, but was taken in the 2nd round. Edmunds has a bit more production and has a bit more starting experience than Green, but they're both size/speed guys that were/are being over-hyped based on their upside. The big difference is that one went in the 2nd, the other is being talked about as a Top 10 pick.

STATS

Year	Team	COMB	AST	Sack	INT
2017	IND	45	14	0.0	0
2016	IND	43	11	0.0	0
Career		88	25	0.0	0

Almost every S drafted AFTER him has better stats. Vonn Bell & Kevin Byard was the next S off the board after him. We blew it.

[Defjamz26]

4 hours ago, Surge89 said:

I'm trying to figure out when Edmunds all of a sudden became a future only player and his current form trash?!?!?  Apparently y'all haven't watched the tape because Edmunds is close to Roquan right now.  He reads well his "instincts" issue is so overblown because he bit wrong on option plays.  Big whoop.  Edmunds is great in coverage now, he's great at the PoA now, he's a great blitzer now and he is a decent tackler right now (only part I need shored up on him is less arm tackles and more authority in his tackles).  Those saying he's all projection are so off it's insane.  He's close to Roquan right now and by far second best linebacker in the draft but what is getting him into the top 5 talk is that he has room to be better and better in a very big way. 

 

The whole comment about he was "best on the field and didn't know what was going on" is ill informed at best.  He has a great read on offenses and shows good scheme knowledge and a great nose for direction of the play.  But people say dumb stuff like this because he guesses wrong on an option play when he was the blitzing linebacker... Eye flipping roll...

Thank you. I actually wonder how many people have actually watched Edmunds tape. Anyone who has watched him knows that he’s a beast in the run game who already has good instincts. He routinely anticipates where the ball is going and meets a lot of RBs immediately after the handoff. That’s why he has 33 career TFLs. Anyone who says he doesn’t have instincts or that they’re poor, hasn’t watched any tape.

[MikeCurtis]

7 hours ago, Shive said:

 

What I don't get is that this board, for the most part, hated the TJ Green pick and most still do. He was a guy that had size and speed at the Safety position that you rarely saw. He needed technical refinement, but was taken in the 2nd round. Edmunds has a bit more production and has a bit more starting experience than Green, but they're both size/speed guys that were/are being over-hyped based on their upside. The big difference is that one went in the 2nd, the other is being talked about as a Top 10 pick. 

 

I would add that Edmunds (why do I keep calling him Edwards?  )  is hyped more than just on this board (Which is a point that you might be making)

 

I looked up the rankings and Green was listed by NFL.com as the 76th best prospect in his draft

 

Edmunds is ranked as the 3rd best prospetc overall in the same list for this year

 

Edmunds very well could be a flop in the NFL...... none of us knows

 

Smith is the 6th best prospect

 

The NFL scouts see both as having great potential

 

The truth is.... either one would help this team....

 

I believe that either one could be a pro bowl player

 

With a team that that has so many holes, there are several choices at 6 that I would be happy with

 

If we somehow move to 11 (or 12) I think the only differnce maker left for us would be James at S.

 

 

 

[chad72]

8 hours ago, Shive said:

 

What I don't get is that this board, for the most part, hated the TJ Green pick and most still do. He was a guy that had size and speed at the Safety position that you rarely saw. He needed technical refinement, but was taken in the 2nd round. Edmunds has a bit more production and has a bit more starting experience than Green, but they're both size/speed guys that were/are being over-hyped based on their upside. The big difference is that one went in the 2nd, the other is being talked about as a Top 10 pick.

 

It is eerie that you and I thought of the same player while reading this thread. He is the LB version of T.J.Green in terms of size and speed hype and raw upside hype, from a Colts fan point of view. I, personally, am scared of those kinds. It is too precious, the kind of draft position we have, to blow it on another upside. If my GM job were on the line, I do not choose Edmunds if I am standing pat at 6. 

 

If I trade down, yes, I would give him consideration at 11 or 12 since I probably have gathered more first rounders, should this one not work out as planned. Heck, even Vernon Gholston blew up the combine, being a "football player" with instincts and leadership trumps a lot of things, IMO.

[WarGhost21]

9 hours ago, LockeDown said:

Instincts are not taught.  You either have them or you don't.  He can learn what to do in situations through practice.  I wouldn't draft someone based on NFL coaches teaching them or coaching them up.  NFL coaches assume a certain level of understanding from the player and it's up to the player to learn. Hanging with team leaders, asking questions..watching tape..I would be making sure Edmunds has that mental desire to be great.  I think that's more important going forward, 

Instincts come from a players overall knowledge and memory of a game. If they know what’s going on, they can instinctively react. Therefore, in some ways, instincts are taught. Some may not have as good of instincts as others, but that comes with good coaching. 

[Surge89]

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

 

It is eerie that you and I thought of the same player while reading this thread. He is the LB version of T.J.Green in terms of size and speed hype and raw upside hype, from a Colts fan point of view. I, personally, am scared of those kinds. It is too precious, the kind of draft position we have, to blow it on another upside. If my GM job were on the line, I do not choose Edmunds if I am standing pat at 6. 

 

If I trade down, yes, I would give him consideration at 11 or 12 since I probably have gathered more first rounders, should this one not work out as planned. Heck, even Vernon Gholston blew up the combine, being a "football player" with instincts and leadership trumps a lot of things, IMO.

 

Interesting that you have this view on Edmunds. Comparing him to TJ Green is a sham though.  TJ Green had production of a 6th rounder and played like one.  The fact he was drafted in the second does how inept our GM was. TJ literally had the same faults I'm college that he showed in pros and why he underwhelmed.

 

 Edmunds has solid first round tape and production with elite projection...  The only trait I see where he is using his athleticism over his technique would be his tackling. Literally everything else has first round all over it.

[krunk]

As a MLB I would not take Smith over Edmunds. If you're talking about one of the other LB positions then maybe. When it comes to the Mike you take Tremaine. Hes built for it. Has the necessary athleticism and can take the pounding. There's no major flaw with his instincts. What he does at times is misdiagnose which to me comes from errors in key reading. I'm confident that can be improved. And usually when he does misdiagnose its against a style of offense that's not played much in the pros. On the other hand im not sure how much better Roquan is going to get at getting off blocks on downhill runs. Hes not the best at it. So much so that evaluators on more than one occasion project him to another position. So you've got a guy people are really not sure if he can even hold up against the run and its important that he's able to do that. No one has projected Edmunds to anything but Mike and they haven't voiced concerns that he may not be able to get better. If you talk about boom or bust what happens if we draft Roquan at Mike and he still can't get off blocks? I dont think Tremaines flaw will take long to fix. All players have flaws and I think its pie in the sky thinking to believe a player should be perfect. I like both prospects but I think Tremaine is the better fit at mike.

[Shive]

27 minutes ago, Surge89 said:

 

Interesting that you have this view on Edmunds. Comparing him to TJ Green is a sham though.  TJ Green had production of a 6th rounder and played like one.  The fact he was drafted in the second does how inept our GM was. TJ literally had the same faults I'm college that he showed in pros and why he underwhelmed.

 

 Edmunds has solid first round tape and production with elite projection...  The only trait I see where he is using his athleticism over his technique would be his tackling. Literally everything else has first round all over it.

It's not that Edmunds is being directly compared to Green. It's the notion that both guys are high upside based on their athleticism. I don't see the same instincts that you do and I can only imagine you watch his tape with a bias.

 

He guesses A LOT in the run game. You may see some of his successful guesses as instincts, but that's just not always the case. In the Miami game, for example, he shot the gap towards the QB that didn't have the ball and the RB shot through the space he vacated for a TD. For every lucky guess where there's a TFL, there's plays like that where he's dead wrong and gives up HUGE plays. And this is against college players and coaches (not even the best). In the NFL, OC's will be able to scheme him out of plays. All they have to do is use some sort of misdirection like an option, counter, etc. Chances are he'll bite and you'll get a huge gain out of it.

 

I hate the fact that I'm having to talk negatively about the kid, because I really do like him as a prospect. I just don't think he's the "god-like" LB that some of you are saying he is.

 

22 minutes ago, krunk said:

I'm not sure how much better Roquan is going to get at getting off blocks on downhill runs. Hes not the best at it. So much so that evaluators on more than one occasion project him to another position. No one has projected Edmunds to anything but Mike. If you talk about boom or bust what happens if we draft Roquan at Mike and he still can't get off blocks? You can make similar arguments here.

If anyone projects or drafts Roquan for MIKE, that's a huge mistake. He's not a MIKE, he's a WILL. This conversation isn't about who is the better MIKE prospect, because that's obviously Edmunds. Smith is overall the better LB between the 2 right now though.

[Fisticuffs111]

50 minutes ago, krunk said:

On the other hand im not sure how much better Roquan is going to get at getting off blocks on downhill runs. Hes not the best at it. So much so that evaluators on more than one occasion project him to another position. So you've got a guy people are really not sure if he can even hold up against the run and its important that he's able to do that.

 

All players have flaws and I think its pie in the sky thinking to believe a player should be perfect.

I thought I was starting to go crazy here with how many people were saying Roquan doesn't actually struggle getting off blocks/in the run game. It's very clearly not a strength of his, and I even like Roquan (as a Will).

 

Like you said, all players have flaws, and I think some kind of choose to ignore the flaws of the player they favor when it becomes a debate of prospect vs prospect.

[aaron11]

9 hours ago, Surge89 said:

 

So a linebacker who comes in at 6'1" and 236lbs needs to gain another 15 pounds?  He's perfect size and weight for a WILL linebacker.  Why would you draft him to turn him into something he's not?  If you are looking to draft an elite WILL linebacker that is close to finished product then you draft Smith even at 6 and enjoy the player you received. 

 

 

6th overall is high for a will

 

i dont think there have been many that have gone that high 

[Defjamz26]

48 minutes ago, Fisticuffs111 said:

I thought I was starting to go crazy here with how many people were saying Roquan doesn't actually struggle getting off blocks/in the run game. It's very clearly not a strength of his, and I even like Roquan (as a Will).

 

Like you said, all players have flaws, and I think some kind of choose to ignore the flaws of the player they favor when it becomes a debate of prospect vs prospect.

Prospect vs Prospect debates also involve people totally overblowing a prospect’s weaknesses. That what’s currently going on with Edmunds. 213 career tackles and 33 TFL is not bad instincts. Sure his play recognition could improve but the Smith fan club is making it seem like Edmunds is  TJ Green, and he’s not. I like both tbh. But both have flaws.

[Fisticuffs111]

16 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

Prospect vs Prospect debates also involve people totally overblowing a prospect’s weaknesses. That what’s currently going on with Edmunds. 213 career tackles and 33 TFL is not bad instincts. Sure his play recognition could improve but the Smith fan club is making it seem like Edmunds is  TJ Green, and he’s not. I like both tbh. But both have flaws.

That's a good point. I also like both, and I know to some of Smith's supporters it could sound like nitpicking, but the reason I and others bring up those weaknesses (getting off blocks/run D) is because it could hurt his potential as a Mike.