With the 81st pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Bryan Edwards out of South Carolina. We all know how badly the Raiders needed a wide receiver, and they selected three during the draft, but Edwards has an interesting skill set that the other two don’t possess.
Another Legitimate Red Zone Threat for the Raiders QB
Before the draft, Carr had a good red zone threat in Darren Waller. Likewise, Hunter Renfrow was, and still will be a great safety blanket for Carr. With Bryan Edwards though, the quarterback will have somebody who can consistently make contested catches all over the field.
Edwards has an insane catch radius, as you’ll see below:
Good morning, but only to those fans of the franchise that stole Bryan Edwards in the third-round last night. pic.twitter.com/QpbVLlkwsL
— ryan (@StillRyanFive) April 25, 2020
Edwards will catch anything Carr throws his way, and that’s gonna make things a lot easier when the offense gets crunched for space near the end zone. We saw the signal-caller give up on plays a lot last season because he ran out of options near the end zone, but with Edwards he should have a player who can consistently win 50/50 balls.
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Consistency
One of the most impressive things about Edwards’ collegiate career was his ability to consistently perform well in the SEC, which is arguably the best conference in the nation. The Raiders really struggled with inconsistency at the position last season, but Edwards should help that a lot. He was used in the short, intermediate and deep passing game for the Gamecocks, and put up numbers in all three. His ability to perform well all around the field on a consistent basis should bring a lot to this offense.
Raiders got a stud in Bryan Edwards pic.twitter.com/V0BVHDa2dz
— Kenny King Jr (@KennyKing_Jr) April 25, 2020
Physicality
Edwards is a big, physical receiver, and he might be the only receiver on the roster right now that possesses those traits. I’ve already talked about his ability to win jump balls, but Edwards has a whole other skillset when it comes to his size and strength. At 6’4″, 212 pounds, Edwards is not going to get bullied off the line of scrimmage. He plays very strong, and he plays very physical against physical corners, so he doesn’t ever get manhandled. With this strength, he’s still agile enough to shake defenders with the ball and during routes, and his speed is fast enough to force corners to give him a cushion, which opens up underneath routes.
Bryan Edwards:
– Good upside
– Strong contested catch skills
– Dangerous after the catch
– Fantastic body control
– High football IQ
– Love his toughness
– Plays a physical brand of football— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) February 10, 2020
The Raiders didn’t have weapons with Edwards’ prowess last year, and it really hurt them. Now they have him, and his physicality, toughness, consistency and football IQ are going to be able to open up a ton of new possibilities for head coach Jon Gruden’s offense.
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Top Photo: Travis Bell/Southern Carolina