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OLB Donnie Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs

HT: 6-2, WT: 228, Born: 4-6-1973, College: UCLA, Drafted: Round 4

2008 Projections

Best Case

Should Edwards be moved inside to make room for Demorrio Williams on the outside, he may well better the 85 solo tackles he put up in 2007. With the team firmly in rebuilding mode now, the Kansas City defense is likely to see top five tackle opportunity -- which should keep Edwards' value reasonably high whether he moves to the middle or stays on the weak side.

Worst Case

The Chiefs signed Demorrio Williams during the free agent period to compete for the WLB position. While the team wasn't happy with the level of play from their current MLB, Napoleon Harris, Edwards isn't likely to be any more physical and stout as a run defender in the middle. If Williams proves himself capable at WLB, Edwards could find himself out of a job. It also warrants mentioning that Edwards has started to see the lower body breakdown injuries (ankle, knee, hamstring) that often signal the end of the line for guys who rely on speed and agility to make plays at linebacker. Either could keep Edwards from breaking out of the deep 80-85 solo tackle tier this season.

Outlook

Most local observers believe that Edwards will be moved into the MLB to make room for Williams. That should put him in line to approach the 90 solo tackle mark and threaten the finish in the top fifteen LBs overall. However, the drop in his coverage peripherals (only 3 PD last season after averaging over 10 over the previous four seasons) and his recent injury history make him risky as anything more than a LB3 in most leagues.

Writeups last modified: 2008-04-30 12:22:09