Tremaine Edmunds

In need of an overhaul at linebacker, the Bears signed Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract this offseason. During each of his five campaigns with the Bills, he reached triple-digit tackles, including 102 in 13 games in 2022. Since notching 5.5 sacks in his first three seasons, though, he has just one sack since then. Based on his consistent ability to pile up tackles, Edmunds will remain on the radar in leagues that use IDPs.

Since being taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, Edmunds has recorded triple-digit tackle totals, including 108 in 2021. This coming season, he'll reprise his starting inside linebacker role alongside Matt Milano, a context that keeps Edmunds on the IDP radar, given that he also chips in the occasional sack or pick.

More toolsy than skilled, Edmunds might never capitalize on the upside of his incredible athleticism. At 6-5, 253, Edmunds boasts a 4.54 40, and with tools like that he should have done more by now. Slight disappointment or not, Edmunds is at least serviceable as an IDP in most formats, and given that he's only 23 there remains hope that he reaches some higher level in his fourth year. Until then, though, he seems capped around the 120-tackle range without much obvious pass-rushing or interception upside.

There's no precedent for a player Edmunds' age to do what he's done to this point in his NFL career, having just turned 22 in May but already with 32 games (one in the playoffs), 1,992 snaps and 248 tackles to his credit. The production is modest at a glance, but when you adjust to expectations reasonable for his age it becomes obviously remarkable. Edmunds' production might go off the charts any day now, and he has the athletic tools to make this projection responsibly. Edmunds may have developed further physically since then, but two years ago at the combine he ran a 4.54-second 40 at 6-5, 253. The Buffalo front seven should prove menacing in 2020, and Edmunds may be the star of the show.

Edmunds really might be something else, even in what looks like a remarkable era of linebacker play. He could hardly be more athletically gifted at 6-5, 250, with 4.54 speed, and he already has 121 tackles after turning just 21 in May. To so much as play in the NFL at age 20 is rare, and to thrive in a three-down role at that age is almost impossible. There's no precedent to project Edmunds' specific level of upside, but it's huge. His range makes him a threat to emerge not only as a leading tackle source, but also a danger as a blitzer and in coverage.

At 6-5 and 250 pounds, Edmunds is a rookie thumper that the Bills have added to an already strong front seven. He should have every opportunity to start in Buffalo in his first season. Everything about the first-rounder spells IDP target, as Edmunds is huge, athletic, well versed in the game and even comes from a football family. In addition to all that, he's a clear favorite to serve as the team's starting middle linebacker come Week 1.