2018 NFL Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year

16. Tremaine Edmunds, ILB, Buffalo Bills

2018 Stats: 121 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, 12 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles

Like quite a few of the other first-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, Tremaine Edmunds had a hard time making an early adjustment from college to the pros. Despite a tremendous amount of talent at his disposal, it took longer than expected for the young linebacker to gain his bearings.

When he did, though, Edmunds immediately became a key factor in the Bills’ finishing with the No. 2 defense of 2018. It didn’t help much in terms of winning games, but Buffalo certainly made things difficult for opponents when it came to moving the football.

Edmunds did a little bit of everything throughout his rookie season, catching fire in the final few weeks of the year. Whether he was stepping up to slow the ground game, rushing the passer or dropping into coverage, good things seemed to happen when he was on the field. That’s why he was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for December.

The Bills knew they were getting a steal when Edmunds fell to them at No. 16. Although he came into his rookie campaign as the league’s youngest player, he quickly overcome his youth and inexperience to assert himself as one of Buffalo’s defensive building blocks.

Grade: B+