As the Raiders try to go from a contender to a playoff team in 2021, they’re counting on a pair of second-year receivers to take significant strides.
One is last year’s 12th overall pick, Henry Ruggs. The other is a third-round pick from last year, Bryan Edwards.
Edwards has drawn some lofty comparisons in recent days, some of which will not age well if he doesn’t pan out. But after catching 11 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown as a rookie, Edwards seems like he’s at least on the brink of a solid sophomore campaign.
Quarterback Derek Carr this week expressed his belief in the young receiver, making one of those comparisons as well.
“Very fun to throw him the ball,” Carr said, via Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’ve said it before, just like Davante [Adams] could just move through the air, their body control is just impressive.
“I think also you see his strong hands. Sometimes he’ll catch a ball and he’s so strong that he doesn’t bring it into the body where they can punch it out, he’ll just hold it away from them. Not many guys can do that, but he can.”
Las Vegas has one of the league’s best tight ends in Darren Waller, and he’s likely to remain Carr’s top target in the upcoming season. But if Edwards can be as good as people are describing him in training camp, then the Raiders could end up with a solid group of pass-catchers as they try to earn that elusive playoff spot.