Las Vegas Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens: 3 players to watch in Week 1

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens: 3 players to watch in Week 1

Henry Ruggs III

The time is now for the former first-round pick to take over as the star of the Raiders receiving lineup. He will have less pressure than other young wideouts in the league due to the fact the Raiders have one of the best tight ends in football in Darren Waller, but his time to step up as WR1 is now.

The Raiders are looking to replace the numbers of last year’s number one receiver Nelson Agholor, whose nearly 1,000 receiving yards were lost in free agency as he departed for the New England Patriots. For the Raiders to pull out a victory here, Ruggs must show up in a big way, stretching the field with his elite speed.

With the likelihood the Ravens double team Waller, it is on either Ruggs or Bryan Edwards to get open on the outside for quarterback Derek Carr. I would expect Ruggs, who is penciled in as the number one receiver to have the largest impact, as his big-play ability will be depended on much throughout the game, and with his game changing speed, it only takes a few plays for Ruggs to truly turn this game on its axis.

Las Vegas Raiders: 3 big questions entering 2021 Week 1

The Las Vegas Raiders have some big questions left to answer as they head into their Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

If Ruggs is who the Raiders believe him to be, this is going to be a very dangerous offense, as they have so many weapons in the backfield, and in the passing game. Sure, the offensive line is a big question mark, and Carr needs time for things to develop downfield, but if Ruggs excels in 2021, they are going to be very hard to stop consistently.