Raheem Edwards is a 23-year-old striker who plays for Mount Pleasant in the Jamaica Premier League. Edwards is a bit of a late-bloomer, having only made the jump to the Jamaican top tier in the 24/25 season. But, since making the leap, he has been a prodigious goal-scorer. He has earned a call-up to the Jamaican national team but did not take the field.
Edwards is listed at 5’11” (1.8 m) but is very muscular. Edwards plays as a centre-forward for Mount Pleasant but is usually the one to drop a little deeper when they play with two up front. Edwards’ main way of scoring is through runs in behind. He is significantly quicker than average (at least the average in Caribbean football) and very good at timing his runs in behind. Edwards has a lot of patience in front of the goal, willing to work for a better shot through carrying or laying it off to a teammate rather than firing away at the first sniff of goal, something that really sets him apart in Caribbean football. As good as Edwards’ runs in behind are, his movement inside the box is not particularly dynamic. He is also not very much of an aerial threat. He is, however, very physically strong. Edwards is very good at receiving the ball with a defender on his back and holding the ball up. However, this is limited by the inconsistent execution of his passing. Edwards gets a decent number of key passes just by laying the ball off to teammates in the box, but when he has to actually pick a pass, he often totally misplays it. Edwards is not a particularly dynamic dribbler, but his physicality and relatively strong close-control make him difficult to stop once he gets going.
Edwards did not demonstrate a lot of pressing ability in the matches I watched. However, he was quite good at tracking back and knocking opposing midfielders off the ball. His physical strength also makes him the favourite for most physical battles, even against players who are taller than him.
At 23, Edwards is probably a little too old for MLS Next Pro or a similar development league. But he does stand out as being a level above his current peers. I could see him being very successful in Central America or Southeast Asia, well-trodden paths for successful JPL players.
Target Scouting 