Cowboys 7-Rd Mock Draft v2.0: Finding the X-Factor (2/7)

Round 1, Pick 19

Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

I should start by saying the top pass-rushers and cornerbacks were gone. Roquon Smith, Calvin Ridley, and Vita Vea were just picked. But I was very fortunate to have Edmunds and Maurice Hurst to choose from.

Tremaine Edmunds is a top-10 talent who’s falling on some boards as of late. Known as “a man without a position” Edmunds is tough to nail down. The 6’5” 250lbs linebacker is one of the most athletically gifted players in the entire draft.

Capable of playing in coverage, stopping the run, and rushing the passer, Edmunds projects as a linebacker prospect best. He plays best on the outside when given room to move free and has that quick twitch that is so often coveted in pass-rushers.

He’s not disciplined in coverage but his athleticism makes up for mistakes. If he can correct that, he could be dominant. Additionally, he’s leaner than you’d like and can get bullied by stronger/larger opponents. Says Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

"“Edmunds can play in any alignment at any linebacker spot and has All-Pro potential  no matter where he lands.”"

All of this indicates he doesn’t fit a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense perfectly and may need to add some size and/or seasoning before he can reach his true potential. But he’s so gifted, he’s still a day 1 starter at a number of positions.

For the Cowboys, Trumaine figures to be the starting SAM – provided both Jaylon Smith and Sean Lee are healthy. He could possibly even be the No. 1 option at right defensive end in those nickel passing situations.

Long-term he could be an All-Pro at WILL, should he need to replace the incomparable but aging, Sean Lee. He would easily be the Cowboys most talented defender and adds tremendous ability to the Cowboys questionable linebacker unit.