With the way things are trending for the Las Vegas Raiders, it appears that they are on track to start two rookies receivers in Week 1.
It won’t be surprising at all to see Henry Ruggs III in the starting lineup after the team used the No. 12 selection on him during April’s draft. But to potentially see third-round pick Bryan Edwards with the starters, that’s quite a surprise given how his offseason went.
Edwards missed all of the pre-draft process with a broken foot as he was unable to participate in the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. Due to his injury, he fell to the middle of the third round to a team that had already taken a receiver.
However, Edwards was just too good of a value to pass up and he is already paying dividends on that selection. He’s been a star in camp and is slated to start at the “X” receiver spot in Week 1.
But what type of numbers can we expect from Edwards during his rookie season? At The Huddle, they have the former South Carolina star projected at 700 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Here is a quick look at their thoughts on Edwards heading into the season:
“The 3.17 pick by the Raiders has received nothing but positive reviews and is expected to become a starter. His long-term value is higher, but he has a chance to offer up some plug-n-play fantasy value even as a rookie. With Tyrell Williams banged up with a bad shoulder for the year, Edwards stock just jumped up more.”
700 receiving yards by a rookie is pretty rare. Since 2015, only 14 receivers have reached that mark and only three were selected past pick No. 80. However, the list of receivers that do hit that total has a pretty good track record of long-term success in the NFL.
If Edwards is able to come anywhere close to that number this season, that would be an excellent sign for his longterm outlook for the team. Look for Edwards to see plenty of targets this season for the Raiders and for 700 yards to be his goal during his rookie season.
Dominate your fantasy football league with TheHuddle.com. Custom rankings! Sleepers! New customers, take 20% this year’s subscription. Order now!
[vertical-gallery id=72889]
[lawrence-newsletter]