Raiders: Players in danger of losing their starting jobs to 2022 draft picks
Raiders: Players in danger of losing their starting jobs to 2022 draft picks
Bryan Edwards
With the low-hanging fruit out of the way, now it gets interesting.
For many weeks now, since the Davante Adams trade went official, I theorized the Raiders were targeting a second starting-caliber receiver along the outside. This stemmed from Las Vegas’ interest in both Chark and Robinson while knowing the Adams deal was happening, then continued progressing with the subtle interest in both Odell Beckham Jr and Brandin Cooks.
Bryan Edwards is currently the projected wideout no.2, so the 2020 third-round pick is up next.
There’s no other way to say it – Edwards has underachieved in the NFL. Not only does he have an incredible skillset he fails to showcase more times than not, but it seems like the 6’3 wideout is the talk of the Raiders’ camp all year, leading up to the regular season’s start. Once the regular season comes around, though, this is a different player than the one who was showered in praise.
Last season, it seemed like Edwards was finally ready to take the jump the entire organization anticipated, performing admirably through the first seven weeks. In those seven contests, Edwards reached the 40-yard mark five times, with at least one reception in each game. In the remaining ten, this mark was met only twice.
This drop-off was no coincidence.
With Henry Ruggs on the roster, Edwards was able to do great things. It wasn’t that his numbers wowed, but rather how he got those numbers. With Ruggs, Edwards was top-3 in the league for yardage in the fourth quarter, showcasing a clutch factor on more than one occasion. Without the former first-round pick on the roster, Edwards’ often struggled to find separation, even going catch-less three times.
One great thing about this draft is the depth, specifically at a position like wide receiver. There should be plenty of legitimate starting talent around 86th overall, should the Silver and Black choose to go that route.