Raiders: Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards could form dynamic duo

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted two very different wide receivers in the NFL Draft in Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards and they form a dynamic duo with differing strengths

One of the goals of the Las Vegas Raiders coming in to the 2019 offseason was to improve the WR group and provide QB Derek Carr with some intriguing options on the outside. With the selections of Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III and South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards, along with Lynn Bowden, Jr. of course, they certainly did that.

Aside from their obvious talent the most intriguing aspect of Edwards and Ruggs is the different things they bring to the position based on their athleticism and body type. The svelte Ruggs measured in at 5’11” and 188lbs at the NFL Combine and blew scouts away with his blazing speed when he posted a 4.2 40. Edwards on the other hand came in at 6’3” and 212lbs though he is no slouch in the speed department and has reportedly run a 4.45 in the past.

Ruggs was known for his explosive ability to turn short yardage routes like slants or bubble screens in to huge gains or scores as displayed by his remarkable touchdown rate. Of Ruggs’ 98 catches at Alabama, a whopping 24 of them were touchdowns.

Ruggs regularly scored touchdowns of more than 40 yards and as you can see from some of his highlights, many of them were the result of his incredible ability after the catch.

His average yards per reception of 17.5 in his three years at Alabama was better than other renowned deep threats like DeSean Jackson, Ted Ginn, and TY Hilton which further displays his explosive ability. As GM Mike Mayock has stated, the Raiders plan to manufacture touches for Ruggs to take advantage of his YAC ability and get him in to open space. He is just as likely to beat defenders over the top as he is to run past them, turning a 5-yard slant in to a 75-yard touchdown.

What does Bryan Edwards bring to the table?

Bryan Edwards, as noted from his body type is a more traditional wide receiver in the west coast offense than Ruggs. As a big body WR, Edwards can use his large frame to shield defenders from the ball on in-breaking routes and can use his strength to break tackles for extra yards rather than running past them.

Despite his size, Edwards is no slouch in the speed department either. While he may not have the fast-twitch quickness of Ruggs to shake defenders in space, he has the straight line speed to beat defensive backs down the field. The height advantage he possesses also helps him win 50-50 balls that Ruggs may not have the strength for even with his impressive vertical leap.

This makes Edwards especially dangerous in tight coverage or in the red zone as he can high-point the ball over the usually smaller defensive backs. His highlight tapes as a Gamecock show Edwards making spectacular one-handed catches while holding off DBs and using every inch of his frame to come down with contested balls.

Edwards has a more pedestrian yards per reception average than Ruggs (13.0) but that can be chalked up to his incredible production and the sheer number of catches he made over his four year career. The all-time leader in South Carolina history in receptions and yards averaged nearly 5 receptions per game in his college career which cements his reputation as a high-volume and high production receiver.

He can make the tough catches over the middle on third and short but can also break a game open by plucking the ball out of the air and steamrolling a DB on his way to the end zone.

The diversity in skill sets among the Raiders receivers is perhaps the most exciting aspect of the position group as they know have a talented player for every situation and need. The problem to solve, if you can even call it that, will be on Carr and Gruden to determine the best way to put all of this talent in a position to succeed.