While the Buffalo Bills entered free agency knowing there was a chance they could lose both linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safety Jordan Poyer, they were able to maintain one, as Poyer re-signed.
Edmunds, however, departed and signed a massive four-year, $72 million dollar deal with $50 million guaranteed with the Chicago Bears. Now, the Bills must look to find a player that can replace Edmunds and help maintain an elite defense.
One avenue to do so would be through the draft in April, with the Bills owning pick No. 27 in the first round. As such, CBS Sports gave the Bills exactly that in its latest mock draft.
Rd. 1 No. 27 - Jack Campbell - LB (Iowa)
Campbell has Tremaine Edmunds size and awesome coverage chops. Immediate Edmunds replacement for Buffalo.
Edmunds was a core member of an elite Bills defense with 102 total tackles, including six tackles for loss and one sack. He also recorded seven pass deflections and an interception last season.
Asking any rookie to step in and have an immediate impact on the same level would be a big demand but Campbell has shown at Iowa that he is capable of doing so. In his last two seasons as a Hawkeye, he recorded 140 and 125 total tackles respectively, with 9.5 tackles for loss.
Simply put, Campbell is a tackling machine that might not be an exact copy of Edmunds but a player that could slot into his role on defense and make sure the Bills don't skip a beat.
When the Bills are finally on the clock in April, there are several routes they could go with the No. 27 pick. They've been linked to several positions, from a flashy receiver to star running back Bijan Robinson out of Texas.
If they do go linebacker in an attempt to replace Edmunds, though, getting Campbell at No. 27 could be an interesting match.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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