Drake London will nab most of the headlines in terms of newcomers to the Falcons wide receiver room, but the recent move to acquire Bryan Edwards from the Raiders is an under-the-radar move that could pay dividends.
Edwards wasn’t the first, second or even third option for Derek Carr, but he still managed to snag 34 catches for 571 yards with three touchdowns in his second NFL season. The Raiders added a high-profile receiver of their own this offseason in Davante Adams, and with Edwards as the perceived odd man out, the Falcons pulled the trigger on a trade—giving up a 2023 5th round pick. His former teammate Darren Waller believes that Edwards is ready to thrive in Atlanta and can maximize his new opportunity.
"I really like Bryan a lot just as a human being and as a football player," Waller told heavy.com's Austin Boyd. "His contested catch ability is elite, and I feel like he can only continue to grow as a player as he gets more and more opportunities—you see it in the games where he got opportunities.”
The Falcons hope that, at just 23-years-old, Edwards is just scratching the surface of his abilities at the pro level following a record-setting career at South Carolina. Waller went on to share how he believes a change of scenery will lead to great things for his former teammate.
“It’s not necessarily about what happens along the journey, it’s more so about your response to what happens. And I feel like he’s somebody that is mentally and physically capable of responding in a big way, and I’m excited to follow his career and see how it unfolds because I think great things are in store for him,” Waller told Boyd.
Another former Raider may be the one throwing Edwards the ball here in Atlanta with Marcus Mariota entering training camp as the presumed starting quarterback. However, Desmond Ridder was taken in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft and could push for the starting spot.
Edwards, at 6-3 & 215 pounds, is a piece of the puzzle as the Falcons work to rebuild their receiving core along with London, Auden Tate, and Damiere Byrd. I’m not here to make Bryan Edwards into the second-coming of Julio Jones, but he stands to serve as a highly productive set of hands for the Falcons this upcoming season.