{"id":51189,"date":"2018-10-11T22:02:58","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T02:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=51189"},"modified":"2018-10-12T15:23:40","modified_gmt":"2018-10-12T19:23:40","slug":"tremaine-edmunds-taron-johnson-immediate-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/10\/11\/tremaine-edmunds-taron-johnson-immediate-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Tremaine Edmunds and Taron Johnson: Buffalo Bills Immediate Impact Defensive Rookies"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the 2018 Buffalo Bills<\/a> draft class, the consensus is fairly clear that Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong> is the highest profile member. His is the most important position in football and fans are hoping that he’s the franchise quarterback this team’s been missing since Jim Kelly<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But football is a team sport. And more often than not, a quarterback is only as good as the complementary offensive pieces he has around him, be it skill position players as well as offensive linemen. Not only that but he also needs a bevy of playmakers on the defensive side of the football to shorten the field via turnovers and short possessions from the opposing offense.<\/p>\n

It’s why the Bills took Tremaine Edmunds<\/a><\/strong> nine picks after Allen had his name called. After that, it became readily apparent that shoring up the defense was a top priority for general manager Brandon Beane<\/strong>. The next three picks after Edmunds were also defensively oriented. It included their lone pick of the fourth round when Buffalo brought in Taron Johnson<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Tremaine Edmunds and Taron Johnson Already Impressing Early on in Their Rookie Seasons<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Part of a Defense That Will Have to Push Above Its Weight in 2018<\/h2>\n

The 2018 Bills look like the kind of team you simply don’t know what to expect from on any given Sunday. In the first six quarters of the season, the Baltimore Ravens<\/a> and Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> outscored them 75-9. That fueled speculation they could be staring at an 0-16 season. But they alleviated the bleeding in the second half of the Chargers game. Then, a week later, they circled the wagons and proceeded to destroy most of America’s eliminator pools in a dominating win over the Minnesota Vikings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The last two weeks have seen similarly bipolar performances. Against the Green Bay Packers<\/a>, the offense sputtered en route to the team’s first shutout loss since December 28, 2008. It wasn’t much better in Week Five when they welcomed the Tennessee Titans<\/a> to New Era Field. But buoyed by a gritty effort on defense that included Edmunds and Johnson coming up huge, the team squeaked out a 13-12 victory when Stephen Hauschka<\/a><\/strong> nailed a 46-yard field goal as time expired.<\/p>\n

All of it underscores that the Bills defense must play shutdown ball to keep the team in games. Such a notion gets further reinforced by the fact that the offense is averaging a league-worst 12.6 points per game. What could further complicate things is the recent trade rumors<\/a> surrounding LeSean McCoy<\/a><\/strong> possibly returning to the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> in the wake of Jay Ajayi<\/a><\/strong>‘s season-ending knee injury<\/a>. Through it all, Edmunds and Johnson must continue to turn in standout rookie campaigns.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of their exploits from last week’s win.<\/p>\n

Tremaine Edmunds: A Rangy, Heat-Seeking Missle<\/h2>\n

The process leading up to the NFL Draft always gives us those players whose traits and overall skill set stand out above most prospects. Edmunds certainly fit into that profile. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein<\/strong> stamped a Pro Bowl-caliber player grade on him<\/a>. A big part of what made the Virginia Tech product such a promising prospect was his unique combination of size, speed, and natural athleticism. The scary thing about it all is that he came into his rookie season fully capable of adding even more functional muscle mass.<\/p>\n

Among the qualities necessary for above-average play at 4-3 MIKE linebacker in the NFL is the ability to cover ground laterally. That sideline-to-sideline industriousness was a hallmark of 2018 Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher<\/a><\/strong>‘s game during his career. If you watch the current greats at the position, such as Luke Kuechly<\/a><\/strong> or Bobby Wagner<\/a><\/strong>, you can’t help but notice that they’re all over the field making plays on the ball. Through five games, Edmunds is exhibiting that same kind of ranginess. The following infographic certainly hints at what he’s capable of.<\/p>\n

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#RoundingUpTheHerd<\/a>: Tremaine Edmunds is the only player in the @NFL<\/a> with 35+ tackles, 5+ passes defensed and 2+ forced fumbles. pic.twitter.com\/VC8fCMfHxg<\/a><\/p>\n

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) October 12, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n