Las Vegas Raiders: Bryan Edwards will stand out in 2021
Bryan Edwards struggled through injuries and inconsistent play as a rookie in 2020, but the Las Vegas Raiders wideout will stand out in Year 2.
In the 2020 season, we saw some flashes of what Bryan Edwards could be for the Las Vegas Raiders, specifically, performances against the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, an injury and the rise of Nelson Agholor kept Edwards from seeing a lot of action during the season, but now, with Agholor gone, Edwards has the ability to really stand out for Las Vegas in 2021.
Bryan Edwards is 6’3 and about 215 pounds, and when looking at the Las Vegas depth chart, Edwards stands out as being the team’s only real, big-bodied receiver. It can be assumed, because of his size, that Edwards will likely be used in a lot of 50/50 catch scenarios.
Raiders must utilize Edwards in the red zone
His ability to overpower his opponents and command the corners of the endzone will make him a useful weapon in the red zone offense, which is an area of the game where Las Vegas really has to improve if they hope to be a serious competitor in 2021. Look for Edwards to be paired with the tight ends Darren Waller and Foster Moreau, and paired with those two players, Las Vegas would outsize and outpower the defense.
While Edwards may mostly be looked at for his size and contested-catch ability, he actually has some really clean route running and YAC capabilities. During his senior year with the South Carolina Gamecocks, Edwards averaged 7.5 yards after the catch, a mark that ranked fifth in the 2020 draft class with the top four being CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Henry Ruggs, and Jerry Jeudy.
That’s pretty good company considering they are all first-round picks.
Also in college, 50 percent of his receptions in 2019 were screens. Perhaps in 2021, Jon Gruden can draw up some more plays that use Edwards in a screen, and allow him to use his YAC talents. Doing so would make him a much more versatile weapon, making it much harder to be covered by opposing corners.
Many will wonder how Edwards will pair with Ruggs, and whether or not Edwards will be a bigger difference-maker. Well, Edwards should pair up pretty well with Ruggs, and the two receivers have the potential to be the duo everyone thought they would be in their rookie year.
Edwards’ size and route-running pairs well with Ruggs’ speed, and both guys have great YAC, as stated earlier.
But Edwards is the one who really has a lot of potential to explode in 2021. Edwards was a steal in the 2020 draft and has the perfect opportunity to take advantage of an expanded role in 2021.
Once he and Derek Carr begin to build chemistry, and once Gruden draws up some creative plays for the young receiver, then the sky is the limit.
Will he have more receiving yards than Ruggs or Waller? Maybe not. But, he has the ability to be one of the team’s touchdown and reception leaders thanks to his size and hands, so, don’t be surprised if Edwards has a breakout year in 2021.
He has everything he needs to do it.
