Scout- Cody Manning
College: Virginia Tech
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 250 lbs
40-Time: 4.54
Bench Press: 19
Vertical: N/A
Athleticism: 8.33
Q.A.B. / C.O.D. 8.00 He does a great job at keeping his feet moving which allows him to flow freely around the field. Flexibility 8.50 Keeps his knees bent while he is laterally moving which allows him to move around blockers easily. Explosiveness 8.00 Once he sees where the ball carrier wants to go he will explode and fill the gap to make the tackle. Playing Speed 8.00 While he is not the fastest guy, he is always moving and is ready to make a play on the ball. Coordination 8.50 He rarely gets knocked off his feet and will use his body to his advantage to put himself in position. Position Versatility 9.00 He was used all over the field and could play at any linebacker spot at the next level.
Pass Rush Ability 7.38
Initial Quickness 8.00 He has a first great step which allows him to get himself around the blocker to pressure the QB. Rush with Leverage 8.00 He tends to win this battle as he keeps his pad level lower so he can have the advantage against the blocker. Pass Rush Moves 6.50 He needs to develop pass rushing moves as he relies on his first step to get pass the blocker. Pressure/Sack Consistency 7.00 Unless he wins the battle at first, he doesn’t get much pressure due to the lack of moves and speed.
Coverage 8.13
Pass Drops 8.50 He is effective when he pass drops because he can is excellent at moving laterally. Coverage Awareness 8.00 He does an amazing job at reading the quarterback’s eyes which allows him to put himself in position. M/M Coverage 7.50 He can keep up with most RBs and TEs, but can make mental mistakes at times if he is confused. Zone Coverage 8.50 His ability to read the quarterback and lateral quickness makes him an ideal LB in zone coverage.
Against The Run 8.20
Play with Leverage 9.00 He wins with leverage because he keeps his pad level low at all times so he can win these battles. Stack and Shed 8.50 Because of how he wins with leverage it allows him to shed the blocker to get to the runner. Run at Him 8.00 He will use his initial quickness to fill the gap and force the tackle or the runner to bounce outside. Runs Away 7.50 His lack of overall speed can hurt him if the defender has the speed to outrun him. Tackling/Hitting 8.00 He is a sound tackler that can bring the wood and will fill the gap to pop the runner.
Competitiveness 8.67
Toughness 8.50 Very tough competitor who brings his best every play to put himself in position to make a play. Production 9.00 Highly productive player who is a tackle machine, he had a team high 109 tackles in 2017. Consistency/Motor 8.50 Constantly finds himself around the ball, and never takes a play off. High motor player.
Intelligence: 7.17
Instincts 7.00 His instincts are subpar and could use some work. A lot of movement can confuse him at times. Learn/Retain 7.50 He showed at times that he can learn from his previous mistakes so he doesn’t get beat again. Concentration 7.00 Misdirections and play actions can mislead him at times which brings him out of the play.
STRENGTHS
Edmunds has the size and athletic ability that you would want from the linebacker position. This allows him to use his athleticism to put himself in position to make a play on the ball or runner. He has excellent lateral quickness and is always moving his feet which allows him to move around the field with ease. He can be used at all the linebacker spots so he can be reliable if he needs to be moved around at times. He is very young so he has a lot of time he can develop into an elite player at the next level.
WEAKNESSES
His overall speed can hurt him at times as he showed at times he doesn’t have the ability to be a sideline to sideline linebacker. A lot of movement in the backfield, play action, and misdirection can confuse him at times which can costs his teams at times. He will need to improve his ability to read plays faster so he can use his athletic ability to make the play. Sometimes in man coverage this will hurt because he won’t recognize his man and this will allow an easy play for the quarterback to pass it to the receiver he was suppose to cover.
BIG PICTURE
Edmunds is a highly productive player who was the best defender on his defense. He constantly found himself in position to make a play on the ball or the runner. He is effective in pass coverage because of his ability to read the quarterback’s eyes, and that he has enough quickness to keep up with most RBs and TEs. His past two seasons proved that he is a tackling machine, and will bring the wood when making contact on the runner. He does a great job at keeping his pad level low which allows him to win majority of his battles with offensive lineman. He does have mental lapses at times, but he will be only 19 years old on draft day, so he will have a long time to learn how to read offenses which will make him a better player. With his size, and athletic ability he will be a coveted player on draft day. I would compare him to an Anthony Barr, and should be a Top-15 player in this draft.