2018 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting every first round selection

Tom Brady isn’t going to play for forever. The New England Patriots have had their opportunities to take highly regarded quarterbacks in the past, but the guys they did draft are no longer on the roster. They’ll grab another passer eventually, probably in the 2018 draft, it just won’t be in the first round.

The Patriots sent rumblings through the NFL when they signed linebacker James Harrison at the tail end of the 2017 season. People wondered whether or not he’d give away all of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secrets. An upstart Jacksonville Jaguars squad squelched any truth that may have existed in that storyline, knocking the Steelers from the Playoffs.

Harrison wasn’t brought in to be snitch, he was much-needed depth for a linebacker unit that lacks a star. Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds could be just that. An NFL scout could barely put Edmunds’ potential into words, “Good luck with your player comp on this one,” he said, “They don’t come like him. I don’t think there has ever been a linebacker that has had his size and speed. You’re better off comping him with a basketball player.”

Whether its arrogance or deserved confidence, the Patriots and Bill Belichick have always taken pride in their ability to take a talented athlete and make him better. Edmunds is raw, but every bit the build and look of an NFL linebacker.

Edmunds led the Hokies in tackles (109), tackles for a loss (14), sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (3) during his final season in Blacksburg. The first-team All-ACC defender is only going to get stronger and more instinctive as a pro. That makes Edmunds the consummate Patriots selection. The floor is high and the upside might be ever higher.