Raiders rookie WR Bryan Edwards
The Raiders had high hopes for Bryan Edwards when they selected him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Even without a proper offseason or preseason, the Raiders named Edwards a starter in Week 1, but a slew of injuries and other issues quickly changed that.
Edwards was hampered against the Carolina Panthers with an injury but stayed in the lineup for the first three games of the season. After that, however, Edwards missed the next four games with a knee injury, and he also missed some practice time due to COVID-19 protocols.
Then, after his extended absence, Edwards was no longer a factor in the offense, as his starting position was taken over by Nelson Agholor.
Edwards has played in just 11 games this season for Las Vegas and has been targeted just 13 times. He has featured in just 23% of the team’s offensive snaps which was obviously not the plan coming into the season. When Edwards is on the field and catching passes, his natural ability is on full display, but he has not had the opportunity to build that chemistry with Derek Carr, and that is on full display as well.
With the last game of the season coming up, the Raiders and Jon Gruden need to give Edwards and opportunity to show what he can do by drawing up plays specifically for him. It may be too late for him to be productive in his rookie season, but he can at least end the season on a high note.