2018 NFL Redraft: Lamar Jackson saves the Cleveland Browns
By Samuel Teets
16. Buffalo Bills: Fred Warner, LB (Tremaine Edmunds, LB)
Despite a stellar four-year collegiate career at BYU, Warner didn’t hear his name called until the third-round. San Francisco finally picked him with the 70th overall selection. Now, Warner is a borderline Pro Bowler with his eyes set on possibly reaching All-Pro heights.
The Bills drafted Virginia Tech standout Tremaine Edmunds with their first-round pick in 2018. Edmunds played well during both of his seasons with the team, but Warner is a notch up from the rangy linebacker. Edmunds produced three interceptions, 21 passes defensed, 3.5 sacks and 236 tackles during his first two seasons.
Warner separates himself from other linebackers in coverage. Pro Football Focus loves how he handles that facet of the game.
Highest-graded rookie linebackers in coverage 2017-2019 (reg season, 150 snaps in coverage):
— PFF SF 49ers (@PFF_49ers) May 27, 2020
6. Fred Warner- 2018: 67.7
8. Dre Greenlaw- 2019: 66.1 pic.twitter.com/4gFNY732V4
An NBC Sports article published in May also cites revealing stats from PFF, including that “Warner had a 74.5 coverage grade across 1,166 total snaps last season. That was the fifth-best grade of any linebacker who played at least 1,000 snaps.”
Warner amassed 15 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, three sacks and 242 tackles during his first two seasons. At face value, those numbers aren’t drastically different than the ones Edmunds posted, but analytics reveal that Warner brings an added layer to his game.
If Buffalo wins the AFC East this season, all of the credit belongs to the defense. That unit features so many talented pieces, and Warner could transform an already formidable defense into a nightmarish force.