If you were to just look at the size of rookie Bryan Edwards, you would think that he is a possession receiver who only wins on underneath routes. That is only partially true as Edwards does a fantastic job on slants and drag routes as he can shield defenders with his size.
But what makes Edwards such an interesting prospect is what he can do down the field. Despite shaky quarterback play, Edwards was a highly-productive down-the-field receiver in the SEC for most of his career. In fact, his most successful route in college was the “go” route.
According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, Edwards averaged 4.4 yards per go route over the last two seasons, which was good enough for 17th-best in the country. And again, it’s worth noting that Edwards played with arguably the worst quarterback situation in the SEC. Here is an example of the type of quarterback play Edwards had to deal with during his college career:
What is fascinating is that “go” routes aren’t actually where No. 12 pick Henry Ruggs wins. Instead, his best route is a dig route, which allows him to catch passes already on the move. Ruggs can undoubtedly win on “go” routes as well, but routes that allow him to get free are where he is at his best.
What is clear about these two selections is that Jon Gruden and the Raiders plan on throwing the ball down the field more in 2020 and beyond. It will be interesting to see if notoriously conservative Derek Carr can maximize his new weapons on offense.
If Carr struggles to connect with Edwards on “go” routes and with Ruggs in the middle of the field, the team could look for a more effective deep passer next offseason. Look for both Edwards and Ruggs to help make the Raiders’ offense more explosive this season.
