Luke Kuechly was impressed by Buffalo Bills’ linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and he believes Edmunds is perfect for this defense.
The Buffalo Bills have wrapped up their last joint practice on Wednesday with the Carolina Panthers. The two organizations have too many connections to name but one of the biggest is the fact that Sean McDermott, the Bills’ current head coach, was the Panthers’ defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2016.
McDermott was fortunate to have one of the best linebackers in the NFL, Luke Kuechly, for every one of those years except 2011. The Panthers’ linebacker found immediate success since entering the NFL, winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and then NFL Defensive Player of the Year the next season in McDermott’s defense.
There is no one who knows what it takes to play the position in this defense better than Luke Kuechly, so when Matt Bové of WKBW asked him about Tremaine Edmunds, it is important to take note.
#Bills fans will love this -- I asked 6x Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly what he thought about second-year MLB Tremaine Edmunds @WKBW pic.twitter.com/JGo4uDHvy7
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) August 14, 2019
Tremaine Edmunds was drafted by the Buffalo Bills last year with the 16th overall pick. He stepped in as the team’s starting middle linebacker almost immediately and went on to record 121 total tackles in 15 games. He also had two sacks, two interceptions and a team-leading 12 passes defended.
The hope is that Edmunds will be able to take that next step now that he has a year of experience playing in Sean McDermott’s defense. As Kuechly notes, Edmunds is the “perfect body type” for this defense with his speed and length.
The next step that Edmunds will need to take, and this should come with experience, is understanding the defense better. The more the playbook becomes second nature, it will allow him to react even faster and really utilize those physical tools.
The Buffalo Bills face the Carolina Panthers in the second preseason game of the 2019 season on Friday night in Carolina.