Hall of Famer Bruce Smith is fan of Bills rookie Tremaine Edmunds

Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith was at Terry Hills Golf Course, as he almost always is for Jim Kelly's annual celebrity golf tournament, and he was asked about the Buffalo Bills’ other first-round draft pick, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who played his college ball at Smith’s alma mater, Virginia Tech.

“Very talented player, obviously he’s a very young man so he hasn’t quite developed to the extent that one would see,” Smith said. “I’m excited for the young man; I think he’s going to have a very productive career, particularly if he gets into the right system with the right coach. Those will all play a factor into him becoming the player that this team and these fans would like to see and become.”

Smith is well-acquainted with the Edmunds family. Tremaine’s father, Ferrell, played tight end for the Miami Dolphins in the late 1980s and early '90s when the Bills-Dolphins rivalry was at its peak. Also, Bruce’s son, Alton, was college roommates at Virginia Tech for one year with Tremaine’s older brother, Trey, who now plays running back for the New Orleans Saints.

“I didn’t have a ton of experience with his father, but I do remember him,” Smith said. “And I used to see him all the time at Tech when he would come see his son play. Look at (Tremaine’s) dad. That apple didn’t fall too far from the tree as far as his physical stature is concerned. He is one good-looking specimen.”

As for his old team, Smith was thrilled the Bills ended their playoff drought last year, and he likes the work that coach Sean McDermott is doing.

“I think they’re taking steps in the right direction,” he said. “We haven’t had a tremendous amount of success with some of the acquisitions we’ve had over the years, particularly the latter years. But I can see some progress being made. I can see Sean is making some great moves, and we’re very high on the prospect of winning a lot of games, but we need to keep building with younger players and hopefully they will all mesh with the coaching staff and it will lead to more victories and more playoffs. Who knows, if we keep doing things the right way, the future will be bright.”

SMAIORANA@DemocratandChronicle