One of the common themes from the offseason has been the universal praise of wide receiver Bryan Edwards. After missing most of the pre-draft process, Edwards is finally healthy and has been impressing his teammates and the coaching staff.
The latest person to express excitement about Edwards is offensive coordinator Greg Olsen. In his first media session of the year, Olson talked about Edwards and how he fits into the offense as a rookie:
“He’s a big, explosive receiver. He’s coming off of an injury in college. Right now he looks healthy. Again, we haven’t had a chance to go full speed, but the thing that jumps out at you is just how thick of a person he is. He has great size and again, has great ball skills. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do when we get up to full speed.”
Of all the receivers on the roster, Edwards is really the only player who wins consistently in contested areas. During his college career, he routinely won in tight spaces over future NFL defensive backs in the SEC.
While Edwards might not be an every-down starter as a rookie, he could fill a valuable role as the team’s red-zone receiver. Edwards has proven that he can win on fades and back-shoulder throws, something this team has missed since Michael Crabtree last wore the Silver and Black.
Look for Edwards to be on the field in certain packages and for quarterback Derek Carr to trust the former South Carolina receiver down near the red zone.
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