PITTSFORD, NY - Tremaine Edmunds doesn't look like a rookie in his young NFL career. His size, height and speed are what the Bills saw in him, and he's showing he has what it takes to lead this Bills defense.
"Obviously all excited about Tremaine and watching his maturation over time. To see him in pads the first time yesterday, he didn’t disappoint," defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier said.
Edmunds was a steal for the Bills in the draft. The fact that he was still there for them to take at 16th overall was surprising. Now they have their quarterback of the defense to replace last year's starting middle linebacker, Preston Brown.
"He’s off to a good start. He picked up where he left off in the spring. The communication part will be big, that he can run our defense and, not only know what he’s doing, but what the people around him are doing and anticipate so he can check us in and out of some defenses," head coach Sean McDermott explained.
"I feel like ever since OTAs and mini camp I'm learning more and playing a little bit faster out there," Edmunds said.
Besides his athleticism, his personality has gotten attention. For being just 20 years old, the word "mature" comes up a lot when coaches or players talk about Edmunds.
"He is a young man that seems mature. In my time around Tremaine at this point, he is mature beyond his years both on the field and off the field, and again, I credit his upbringing for that and his parents," McDermott said.
And Edmunds family is a football family. His father Ferrell was a Pro Bowl tight end and while two of his brothers are also in thee NFL. His brother Trey is a running back for the Saints and his other brother Terrell is a safety and drafted by the Steelers also in the first-round this year.
It was the first time two brothers were ever drafted in the first round in the same year.