Mario Edwards Jr. is experiencing a professional first entering his third NFL season. The Raiders defensive line is fully participating in an offseason, something brand new during a promising NFL career plagued by injury.
Edwards spent his 2015 spring trying to improve draft stock, a successful effort that helped the Raiders select him No. 35 overall. Edwards Jr. spent this time last year tiptoeing through a neck injury suffered as a rookie that kept him out until mandatory minicamp. Edwards Jr. wasn’t healthy long. He suffered a significant hip injury in the preseason opener that kept him out 14 games.