Las Vegas Raiders Draft 2020: First Round, Two picks, One college

Henry Ruggs III

There is no doubt about it, one of the Silver and Black’s biggest needs is wide receiver. Tyrell Williams led the position group with 651 yards and that mark ranked 61st overall. General manager Mike Mayock even stated on Raiders.com’s podcast: Upon Further Review, that the team will be looking to add a wideout in the offseason.

With that piece of information, Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III could easily be an option for the team.

In three years at Tuscaloosa, the receiver compiled 98 catches for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns. Those numbers are fairly impressive considering he had to compete for targets with other future first-round picks, Jerry Jeudy and Devonta Smith. It’s not very often that number two wide receivers in college are considered as a potential number one option in the NFL, but Ruggs is and that’s because of the physical traits he showed in college.

The wideout is an absolute speed demon who excels at both inside and outside releases against press coverage. Being able to shake defenders at the line of scrimmage is an extremely important trait for faster receivers because press coverage is how many teams try to slow them down. With his speed, Ruggs is a guy who can score from any point on the field as exemplified below.

Fun fact, he was clocked at 24.3 miles per hour on this play.

Average depth of target and the lack of explosive plays was a big point of emphasis for the Raiders last season and obviously, Ruggs can certainly help in those departments. Pick 12 might be the sweet spot for the Montgomery Alabama native as The Draft Network ranks him 13th on its big board and Sports Illustrated has him as the 12th-best prospect. Of course, a lot can change between now and late April but as of now, the wideout could be Las Vegas’ first draft choice.