Five ways the Raiders’ Bryan Edwards could be the next Davante Adams

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020 | 2 a.m.

The Raiders need playmakers in their receiving corps, so when Derek Carr compared 2020 third-round pick Bryan Edwards to one of the NFL’s best wideouts — Green Bay star Davante Adams — it was bound to excite the Las Vegas fan base.

The comparison is being given extra weight because Carr knows Adams better than most, as the two were teammates at Fresno State and racked up prolific numbers together.

The measurables support Carr’s assessment. Edwards checked in at 6-foot-2, 212 pounds at the combine, which pretty closely resembles Adams’ combine profile of 6-foot-1, 212 pounds. And while Edwards’ arms measured 32.25 inches, Adams’ levers are 32.6 inches.

Adams has developed into one of the league’s most consistently productive receivers. Could Edwards follow the same development path and give the Raiders an elite pass-catcher on the outside? There are some similarities in their games.

The first thing that stands out about both receivers is their big-bodied stature. Adams is excellent at using his large frame to ward off defenders, allowing him to gain position and make big plays down the field:

Edwards can do that as well. Here he is putting his body to use in beating first-round pick C.J. Henderson for a 50/50 ball:

Note that, like Adams, Edwards isn’t the type of receiver who is going to run away from defensive backs. Henderson gets beat on the flea-flicker action but has no problem catching up to Edwards by the time the ball arrives; it’s Edwards’ body control that leads to the big gain.

Carr said he trusted Adams so much at Fresno State that 50/50 balls were more like “98/2” balls in his mind. Edwards probably hasn’t earned that level of trust just yet, but he has the kind of body and ball skills to get there.

That skill set also comes in handy in the red zone, when coverage is tight and throwing windows shrink. One weapon in the arsenal of an experienced quarterback is the back-shoulder throw, but it requires strong chemistry between QB and WR, as well as a receiver who can decelerate on a dime and contort his frame to make a tough catch.

Adams and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers make the back-shoulder throw look routine:

Edwards and Carr will need to put in thousands of reps before they develop that level of chemistry, but from a purely physical standpoint, Edwards has the ability to be a back-shoulder threat.

Take a look at this Edwards catch:

Of course, for all the talk of having a big body and a powerful frame, the thing that really elevates Adams into the top tier of NFL receivers is his route running. He is widely recognized as the best or second-best when it comes to running precise routes, and his release off the line is unparalleled.

Adams can create separation from defensive backs right at the snap, opening up quick passing lanes and opportunities for easy completions. Watch him use his quick release off the line to turn a 3rd-and-short into a routine completion to move the chains:

Edwards has a long way to go to get on Adams’ level as a route-runner, and it’s unlikely he ever gets there. But he is capable of separating quickly, which will be important if he’s to develop into an all-around receiver and not just a big outside target:

Adams isn’t just elusive when facing man coverage; he has a good feel for getting open against zone defenses, which makes it that much more difficult for opponents to game-plan him.

Adams can work his way into the soft spot in a zone, and he’s got a quarterback who is savvy and patient enough to make defenses pay:

Edwards will probably have to spend a few years in the league before that aspect of route-running becomes second nature to him, but he showed signs of it at South Carolina.

On this play, he got a free release against a zone and instead of firing into his crossing route, he recognized the defense and wisely decelerated. That change in speed allowed Edwards to find an open window just as his quarterback came back to him:

Edwards got open at the college level and made some spectacular catches. But what can he do once the ball is in his hands?

Adams is a threat to rack up big YAC on any play. Though he’s not a fast receiver in the traditional sense, he runs hard and has a knack for cutting across the field to create lots of extra yards.

He’s also got the reverse pivot move in his bag, which he’ll break out to great effect on in-cutting routes:

And wouldn’t you know it, but Edwards is a purveyor of this classic move as well:

Now, obviously, these are just a handful of plays, but the similarities are there in terms of size and style of play. And the one quarterback who has experience with both Adams and Edwards seems to believe there’s good reason to draw the comparison.

Now all Edwards has to do is live up to the hype.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.