Las Vegas Raiders Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards Expectations

Expectations are very high for Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards. We dig deep into what is realistic for the rookies.

The expectations are reaching sky high for the Las Vegas Raiders' highly-praised offense. With that said, a few young Raiders are pressed in 2020 to make a significant impact on offense right away.

Is it fair to expect rookies Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards to reach over 1,000 receiving yards in their rookie seasons in 2020?

What is the realistic approach of what these young receivers can do on the field, and can they exceed the expectations?

Legendary NFL Writer Rick Gosselin of SI's Talk of Fame Network said, "There have been 98 wide receivers selected in the first round of NFL drafts in the salary-cap era (since 1994). Only nine of them went on to catch 1,000 yards of passes as rookies. There have been 10 wide receivers selected in the first round over the last four drafts. Despite lofty expectations, none managed a 1,000-yard season as rookies. The last was (Amari) Cooper, who caught 72 passes for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns for the Raiders in 2015."

A 1,000-yard receiving season by a rookie NFL WR is not impossible...just highly unlikely, writes Talk of Fame Network’s Rick Gosselin: https://t.co/Kc0xVomBe1

— Rick Gosselin (@RickGosselin9) September 3, 2020

There is hope that one of the Raiders wide receivers can surpass the 1,000 receiving yard mark, as Amari Cooper accomplished it and led the Raiders in receiving yards in 2015. It marked the first time a Raiders wide receiver surpassed over 1,000 yards since Randy Moss did it in 2005.

Ruggs was never the No. 1 receiver at Alabama. In his three seasons at 'Bama, he finished third in receiving yards. His college best was last season as a junior, when he racked up 746 receiving yards from 40 receptions. His amazing 18.7 average yard per catch is what stood out.

Edwards was a playmaker his whole career at South Carolina. He finished his junior and senior years more than 800 receiving yards. In 2019, he led all receivers in yardage while playing on a Gamecocks team that struggled to pick it up on offense and went 4-8.

"Only 22 wide receivers in NFL history managed 1,000-yard seasons as rookies – and just 10 of them were first-round draft picks. Keyshawn and Calvin Johnson, Marvin Harrison, and DeAndre Hopkins all became great receivers in the NFL. But it didn't happen overnight," Gosselin said.

The Raiders haven't had a 1,000-yard rookie in their history, not even the great Tim Brown. Brown caught 88 passes for 725 yards in his rookie campaign in 1988.

And the last time the Raiders had a wide receiver duo surpass 1,000 receiving yards was in 2016 with Cooper and Michael Crabtree. This marked the first-time a wide receiver duo accomplished it since Randy Moss and Tim Brown did it in 2001.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has improved statistically over the last two seasons.

In 2018, he completed 381 passes for 4,049 passing, surpassing 4,000 for the first time in his career.

In 2019, he completed 361 passes for 4,054 passing, had a 70 percent completion rate, 7.9 average yards per pass and finished the season with a 100.8 quarterback rating -- all career-bests.

With the season-ending surgery of wide receiver Tyrell Williams, it should allow rookies Ruggs and Edwards to have even more looks on offense.

Last year, Williams went for 42 receptions for 651 yards and six touchdowns after missing a few games because of a foot injury and not playing at 100 percent.

Carr can quickly spread those receptions and yardages to other receivers on the line-up.

Success doesn't come easy; we know that these players will need to give it their all every week.

Having Carr under center will give Ruggs and Edwards a clear opportunity to become the first rookie duo to both reach 1,000 yards.

But if they don't, don't sweat it. It doesn't happen overnight; the greats kept improving year to year.

And as a team sport, doing what's best for the win is far more critical than individual stats.

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