Las Vegas Raiders Profile: Wide Receiver Bryan Edwards
In the past, I’ve previewed every opponent for the Raiders this season and profiled every coach.
As we inch closer to Week 1, I am now profiling every player on the Raiders roster.
Today we’re profiling rookie wide receiver, Bryan Edwards.
Edwards could be the Raiders tool in the short field
Wide Receiver Bryan Edwards was drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Edwards spent his time with the Gamecocks developing himself as the best blocking receiver on the team.
During his senior season, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Edwards caught 71 passes for 816 yards and averaged 11.5 yards per reception.
However, these numbers don’t show his full potential. Last season, he sustained a late-season knee injury which ultimately closed out his college career prematurely.
After recovering from his knee injury, Edwards sustained a broken foot during a workout and did not participate in Combine drills.
Despite his injuries, the Raiders drafted Edwards in the third round of the draft. General manager Mike Mayock later revealed that Edwards was given a first-round grade prior to his pre-Combine injury.
It’s understandable that many are still questioning Edwards’ speed on the field and overall athleticism. There are no numbers from the Combine we can point to since he got hurt.
What can be said is for the Raiders is, they needed versatile wide receivers.
And they needed them bad.
By the end of last season, due to injury, the only real options quarterback Derek Carr had to throw to were tight end Darren Waller and rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
After selecting wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in the first round of the draft, it made sense to pick up Edwards in the third round.
Wide Receiver Tyrell Williams, who is back and healthy after sustaining a foot injury last season, is expected to start ahead of Edwards on depth charts.
However, with how effective Edwards is a physical receiver, he should especially be useful on the field near the goal line.
His large build combined with what he has been proven to do on the field in college could turn out to be the receiver the Raiders can rely on when working with a short field.
Two days ago, Carr praised Edwards.
“Bryan is a very violent route runner and that’s a good thing,” Carr said via Raiders.com. “He’s very violent, he’s very aggressive in his cuts.”
As long as Edwards can stay healthy and receives some early minutes while getting used to the NFL environment, he could turn out to be a go-to wide receiver when working in short-yardage situations or in the red zone.
Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
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