With every injury or trade, there is always a winner and loser. Tyrell Williams was officially placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury. The Twitter mob isn’t always right but they are all over this one. Buy all the Bryan Edwards stock you can. The Raiders are counting on him to be the guy and his time is now.
Whether Williams was healthy or not, Henry Ruggs III was going to have his role. Ruggs was slated to be the deep guy. It wouldn’t matter who’s on the roster, Ruggs has that role after being selected in the first round of the draft.
Where Bryan Edwards factors in is the void left by Williams. Edwards was a prospect I really liked at South Carolina. No, he’s not Deebo Samuel but I do think the Raiders got a steal third round. If he has a better career than Ruggs, I would not be shocked.
The weapons in this offense are starting to take shape. With Ruggs as the field stretcher, Hunter Renfrow in the slot, Edwards can be the possession guy. He’s shown the ability to make difficult catches and has excellent strength to his game. Edwards has good speed for his 6-foot-3 frame too.
Edwards is coming off of back to back 800 yard seasons in the SEC. The fact of the matter is he goes a round higher if he didn’t get hurt in the predraft process. Edwards is someone who would have shined at the Senior Bowl. Edwards isn’t an elite route runner per se but he’s athletically gifted enough to improve.
There’s no excuse now. It’s go time for Bryan Edwards. He’s a starter now. It’s put up or shut up time for Derek Carr and this group of young guys. We’re going to find out quick if they have a group they can build around going forward. Edwards should be taken very seriously as a fantasy asset.
