The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver got a little clearer after training camp and the preseason wrapped up. Free agent addition John Brown asked for and was granted his release, or at least that’s how the story went. Whatever went down, that leaves Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs atop the Raiders depth chart at the position.
As far determining who’s No. 1 and who’s No. 2, that’s a little harder to tell. Ruggs, a classic Raiders “WHAT?!” first-round pick last year was a disappointment as a rookie, catching just 26 passes for 452 yard and two touchdowns. Edwards, a third-round pick last year, posted numbers that were barely worth mentioning. Nelson Agholor emerged as the team’s top wide receiver, but he’s gone leaving the offense to Ruggs and Edwards who hope to break free of underwhelming rookie performances.
Verdict
The Raiders didn’t bother playing their starters in the preseason, but it was Edwards who was turning heads in camp. ESPN’s Raiders beat writer Jeremy Fowler pointed out the connection Edwards had with quarterback Derek Carr throughout camp. ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez went on to predict that Edwards would emerge as the team’s leading receiver this season. That could be a stretch given tight end Darren Waller’s role in that offense, but conventional wisdom is pointing to Edwards being the top guy here.
Fantasy football implications
Edwards would be the better bet here for fantasy rosters. He could be a sneaky late-round pick. Ruggs is going to be on the field and should see targets too, but he’s hard to trust until we see more from him.