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NFL Mock Draft 9.0: Quarterbacks push defensive prospects down board

By Jacob Camenker

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs walks in to the locker room prior to the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs walks in to the locker room prior to the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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BLACKSBURG, VA – OCTOBER 28: Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds #49 and safety Reggie Floyd #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies tackle running back Shaun Wilson #29 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half at Lane Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, VA – OCTOBER 28: Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds #49 and safety Reggie Floyd #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies tackle running back Shaun Wilson #29 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half at Lane Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

49. . Linebacker. Virginia Tech. Tremaine Edmunds. 14. player

The linebacker depth on the Green Bay Packers team is virtually non-existent. While they have a couple of nice middle linebacker options in Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez, they lack a top backup and they could use a rush linebacker to improve their pass rushing ability as well. Adding a versatile player who can do all of these jobs would be a sensible move.

Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds would certainly qualify. Edmunds flew under the radar during the 2017 season, but he has steadily risen in the lead up to the 2018 NFL Draft. In the past two seasons, Edmunds has totaled 202 tackles and 10 sacks with a whopping 30.5 tackles for loss. He has great size at 6-foot-5 and his athletic ability should give him a chance to be a quality player at the NFL level.

In Green Bay, Edmunds could get a chance to start at one of the rush linebacker positions, either taking over for Nick Perry or the declining Clay Matthews. He could then move around the

defense as needed to fill roles all over the front seven. This type of versatility would be immensely valuable, and it would give the Packers an important weapon in the front seven.

In the event that the Packers pass of Edmunds here, they would probably target a defensive back like Josh Jackson here. They need to add some pass rushing and coverage help for their defense if they want to make it back to the playoffs. So, grabbing the best available player, Edmunds, would make a lot of sense.

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