Richmond WR Ben Edwards making his bid for NFL
University of Richmond wide receiver Ben Edwards is making a strong bid for the NFL.
Edwards caught 208 career passes for 2,202 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was a two-time first-team All-Colonial Athletic Conference selection.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder bench pressed 225 pounds 11 times and also did well in the three-cone drill and short shuttle and ran crisp routes at his Pro Day, which was attended by 20 NFL teams, including the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers.
Edwards didn't run the 40-yard dash at the workout, but recently ran the 40-yard dash in the high 4.4 to low 4.5 range for trainers.
"I'm 100 percent recovered, my knee is strong," Edwards said in a telephone interview. "My knee feels great. I wasn't totally comfortable running the 40-yard dash at my Pro Day, so we held off on doing that at that time, but everything is good now. I'm running fast times and I'm back to my old self. I've worked very hard to get to this point. I'm just ready to get going and find out what team I'll be playing for."
An All-Academic selection, Edwards caught 74 passes for 706 yards and five touchdowns last season in nine games. He also rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.
"I can be a slot receiver like a Wes Welker," Edwards said. "Those are the kind of guys I look up to. I have a passion for the game. I know how to find openings in the defense, catch the football, make people miss and get upfield. That's a skill that NFL teams are looking for."
In 2012, Edwards started every game and caught 80 passes to lead the conference for a team-high 852 yards and three touchdowns. He also averaged 11 yards per punt return, rushed for 117 yards on 16 carries and caught 11 passes for 182 yards againt Old Dominion and 11 catches for 122 yards against VMI.
"I love playing on special teams," Edwards said. "That's a huge part of the game whether that's returning or covering kicks."
The NFL teams that have expressed the most interest in Edwards are the Texans, Panthers, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Saints, Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. He visited the Giants.
In 2011, Edwards caught 44 passes for 509 yards and six touchdowns.
As a true freshman, he started five games and had nine catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.
Edwards majored in leadership at Richmond and is known as a high-character individual.
"I'm a hard worker, I'm focused, I love the game," Edwards said. "I believe that leadership is best shown through your actions."
In 2011, Edwards caught 44 passes for 509 yards and six touchdowns.
As a true freshman, he started five games and had nine catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.
As the draft approaches, Edwards' game plan is to maintain his patience.
"I'm staying relaxed," Edwards said. "Whatever happens now is out of my control. I'm just looking forward to everything and I'm excited about what's next for me."
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Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
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This story originally appeared on Nationalfootballpost.com
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