If you happen to remember Derek Carr at Fresno State, you’ll undoubtedly remember the connection that he and Davante Adams had in college. The two were one of the most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver combinations in college football history.
During their two seasons together, Adams totaled 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns on 233 receptions. So when Carr compares a player to Davante Adams, you know that it carries a lot of weight for him. But that is exactly what Carr did in his recent media session.
When he was asked about third-round pick Bryan Edwards, Carr couldn’t stop gushing about the former SEC star as he compared him to Adams in several ways:
“Bryan is a very violent route runner and that’s a good thing. He’s very violent and aggressive in his cuts, in and out of his cuts. He’s someone…He reminds me of, when the ball is in the air, of Davante [Adams]. Great ball skills. Davante, Anthony knows, he watched all of those games, Davante is someone where, there’s just a trust. I could throw it up, 1-on-1 and them 50/50 balls were 98/2 for us.”
Carr continued expressing his admiration for Edwards’ game as he wondered why he wasn’t talked about as a first-round pick entering the draft process. But with Edwards missing just about all of the pre-draft process, it’s not hard to see why he fell 50 picks further than he should have.
The Raiders haven’t had a receiver on the roster that can win in the air since Michael Crabtree last played. Considering the success Carr has had with players like Adams and Crabtree, it’s not hard to envision him falling in love with Edwards.
As for the comparison to Adams, Carr isn’t far off. Both Edwards and Adams have elite size and explosiveness despite not being the fastest players on the field. Both know how to win with body control and can use their size to box out defenders when needed. Like Adams, Edwards might need a year or two to catch up to the speed of the NFL, but he has the upside to develop into a No. 1 receiver in time.
While we are still only a week into training camp, all indications are that Edwards has been one of the most impressive rookies in the building. Look for the former South Carolina star to carve out a role in the offense as soon as this season.
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