Las Vegas Raiders rookie Henry Ruggs III was a star at Alabama and his coach Nick Saban heaped praise on the receiver’s best qualities.
The Las Vegas Raiders took a big swing with their first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft in selecting Henry Ruggs III over “safer” picks like Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy or Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. Jeudy and Lamb measurables fit the mold of more traditional receivers while Ruggs is slightly more unorthodox due to his smaller stature.
What Ruggs has that the others do not is 4.2 speed but critics who say he is just a track star in pads would do well to listen to what his college head coach Nick Saban had to say. In an interview with the Raiders website, as quoted by NBC Sports, Saban praised Ruggs for much more than simply being fast.
Though Ruggs is on the smaller side, Saban said this is what sets him
"The mental and physical toughness, he never complains about not getting the ball. He’ll do whatever you ask him to do, whether he has to block on a running play or an RPO or whatever it is”. Saban went on to praise Ruggs’ work ethic and his ability to play special teams which he believes is rare for star wide receivers."
There have been plenty of smaller receivers that have flourished in the NFL, guys like Tyler Lockett or Tyreek Hill for example, especially in this era where the field is more wide open and there is less to fear when coming across the middle. These guys are known for, despite their size, their ability to make contested catches and use their speed to shake defenders with crisp route running.
The versatility that Ruggs brings to the table sets him apart from other speedy receivers in that he can do much more than just run fast in a straight line. Saban referenced this and said, “I think he’s what you would categorize as a speed receiver who can get on top of people running straight line routes, but he drops his weight and gets out of breaks pretty good, too.”
When watching highlights of Henry Ruggs you see that he is not just adept at running past the defense but also at using his speed and quickness to turn short routes in to big gains. While he won’t have the same space on the field in the NFL as he did at Alabama, we have seen that those traits do carry over. Straight line speed may be less imposing at the highest level but a shifty and elusive player can be just as effective with pros than versus college kids.
The Raiders will be banking on Ruggs’ speed and quickness to help him make the adjustment needed to play receiver at the highest level but it will be his mental and physical toughness that will help him even more to make a big impact his rookie season.