The Player the Steelers could take at Pick 49 that Nobody is Talking About

It’s Bryan Edwards, WR from South Carolina. Now I know some of you may have post-traumatic stress disorder from the last time the Black and Gold drafted a wide-out with the last name Edwards, but Bryan is good enough to wash that bad taste of out your mouth that may still be lingering from when the team selected Troy Edwards with the 13th overall pick in 1999.

If not for a broken foot suffered a few months prior to the combine that forced his hand when it came to participating, Edwards may be considered in that next tier of WR’s behind Lamb, Jeudy and Ruggs for a variety of reasons. He’s South Carolina’s all time leader in career receptions and yards, ahead of some other notable NFL standouts and recent graduates including the 49ers Deebo Samuel and Eagles Alshon Jeffery. He’s sturdy and strong, checking in at 6’3 and just under 220 lbs - just what the Steelers could be looking for to improve their red zone woes. 

But maybe, most importantly - no one knows him better than new Steelers wide-receivers coach Bryan McClendon. McClendon was hired in early February from South Carolina after serving as offensive coordinator the past four years for the Gamecocks where he had a first hand look at how Edwards operates. He saw him attack the ball at its highest point consistently and break tackles at a rate that will have NFL GM’s salivating. According to SportsInfoSolutions (SIS) Edwards gained 67% of his total receiving yards in 2019 after the catch - meaning although he isn’t as shifty as Jalen Reagor or KJ Hamler, he still certainly checks the "playmaker" box.

So why not more attention to the Edwards and Steelers connection? For starters his injury history could certainly be a factor. In addition to the broken foot suffered prior to the combine he also had a knee scope that forced him to miss the final two contests of the 2019 regular season. In only 10 games played he still hauled in 71 passes and reached paydirt six times.

He reminds me a ton of Darius Slayton, now 2nd year player for the Giants who caught 48 passes for 780 yards and 8 TD’s last season - bursting onto the scene after being picked in the fifth round out of Auburn. 

Edwards may not be the most explosive, and his injury concerns are real - but he isn’t afraid to go over the middle and catch a pass in traffic. He can play outside and inside, which really should be a high priority on Colbert’s wishlist. And the connection to McClendon can’t be ignored. 

I watched Edwards game-highlights in South Carolina's match-up vs. Alabama from this past season. They can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNkkH6SJEjY

He is a straight-up dog. He can be seen breaking tackles consistently, forcing coverage's to his side creating openings for the TE's and RB's to work in space. At the 2:00 minute mark he beats the Alabama defender for what would be an easy TD on a deep ball but is overthrown. At the 2:30 mark he is targeted twice on sideline back-shoulder's - one resulting in an incredible catch out of bounds and the other incomplete. The QB gave him a chance on both of these targets and although you can see the catch-radius, he probably should have come down with one one of those balls. At the end of the day he finished with 9 catches for 79 yards against a bunch of guys who will also play on Sunday. A solid days work.

So why not Bryan Edwards at pick #49 overall? If they do take him, we certainly know that they have all of the information necessary on the player. And if they don’t take him, then that says just as much.