Las Vegas Raiders 2020 season grades: Wide Receivers
Bryan Edwards – Fell Short of Expectations
It was hard to accurately predict what Bryan Edwards’ rookie season would look like, but Raider Nation certainly had higher hopes than what transpired. Edwards was taken in the third round and many analysts thought he would be a steal for the Raiders, as he dropped primarily due to injury concerns from his final season at the University of South Carolina.
Edwards was thrust into the starting lineup after the Williams injury and it may have been too much too soon for the rookie. After a near no-show in Week 1, Edwards showed signs of life in Week 2 and 3, with four catches for 90 yards combined, but a combination of leg injuries and a stint on the COVID-19 list took him out of the lineup essentially for five games.
By the time he was healthy enough to return, Edwards’ starting spot was fully owned by Agholor and he never got into a groove in the offense, resulting in just 11 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown in 12 games. In the final game of the season, he showed another flash of ability with a contested touchdown reception in Denver and gave fans a glimmer of hope.
Much like Ruggs, Edwards did not meet the expectations we placed on him coming into the season, but he also deserves more time before being proclaimed a bust. Give him a full offseason working with Gruden and Carr and let’s run it back for another 16 games to see what he can truly offer to the Raiders.