2019 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile

Name: Bryan Edwards

Position: Wide Receiver

School: University of South Carolina

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 220 pounds

Round Projection: 3

Stats

Hands

With the ball in flight, Edwards showed no trepidation about fighting with a defender. Through jostling for position, he will use power and a strong grip to secure the ball and make the grab. Additionally, his catch radius gives any passer a huge opening to find him. Regardless of route or down and distance, Edwards will battle for the ball. Moreover, his radius extends over his head and in some cases, behind his shoulder.

Speed

As with bigger wideouts, Edwards is a gather runner. That is to say, while he does possess above average speed for his frame, he needs to take a few stride to build it. However, when starts moving, he will pull away from defensive backs.

Route Running

When you look at Edwards, break his approach to the route in parts. If he can drive hard on the shorter patterns, that will entice corners to bite. Later, he should revisit a double move. With his ability to streak vertically, that should catch any DB flat-footed. On the post, Edwards does a good job of attaining proper depth before the cut. In this instance, the threat of the go or out exists.

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Agility

Despite not possessing gamechanging quicks or twitchy feet, Edwards presents enough hip shifts to evade defenders. In addition, he uses this adequate trait in his route, albeit subtlety. After snaring the ball, Edwards,on slants will slightly cut, find green in the secondary. In the red zone, he easily highpoints the ball over smaller corners, to make the play. From film, he does not appear tentative about winning the jumpballs.

Raiders Fit

Whether the Raiders draft Edwards or not, they need a veteran wideout to groom him. To his credit, Edwards shows the requisite skills to serve as a number two early. Yet, with a professional coaching staff, the sky could be the limit. Granted, South Carolina did not deploy him in intricate routes, Edwards managed to thrive. In college, he used natural gifts and some technical prowess to excel. Yet, the Raiders could unlock Edwards. With Gruden and Edgar Bennett, Edwards could eventually evolve into a number one receiver. Now, he profiles as a two or three with upside for the Raiders.