Oakland Raiders 2nd-round Pick gets his shot

Oct 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws a pass under pressure by Oakland Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (97) at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I always thought Oakland Raiders 2nd-round pick Mario Edwards Jr. would be the steal of the 2015 NFL Draft. That’s contrary to the beliefs of most as they were up-in-arms over the selections when it happened. He was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school so you know he has loads of natural talent.

But his lack of individual production at Florida State led to his motor and discipline to keep his weight down being questioned. During his stint at Florida State, he was a 3-4 end who’s job was to suck up blocks so others can make plays. He was encouraged to play at a heavier weight by his coaching staff to make it easier to do that.

So even at 310 pounds, he was able to show he has the athleticism to cover backs and tight ends on occasion. Then after the season he got down to 280 pounds and showed even more athleticism, running a 4.8 40. And the lost no strength with, bench pressing 225 pounds 32 time s at the same combine.

So G.M. Reggie McKenzie and head coach Jack Del Rio saw that and knew they can turn him into something one day. So first thing they did was give him a weight limit of 285 pounds to come in at and he has had no problems there. Then comes the hard part where he has to sit and watch team captain Justin Tuck while he gets limited playing time.

But his versatility allowed him to grab some more snaps at another position on the d-line last Sunday with Denico Autry out with a concussion. And the result was he had six tackles and the first sack of his NFL career. And his performance in that game got the attention of the coaching staff, making them wonder where they can get him on the field more.

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. in particular was on notice and had high praise for Edwards, saying his press conference this week, “He’s been versatile in the way we can play him inside and outside. It seems like everywhere we put him, he makes plays and he plays really hard.”

The Raiders would then find out Tuck tore a pectoral muscle to send him to the injured reserve list for the rest of the season. No one is happy to see such a leader go down for the rest of the season but the Raiders are certainly glad to have Edwards playing so well when it happened. So the some day that McKenzie and Del Rio were talking about has suddenly turned into this day.

Continued success will put his 4-3 base end/3-4 end position under lock and key for Edwards.

It will also give us a chance to see if he’s the steal of the 2015 NFL Draft.