No receiver in this class has been more synonymous with speed than Henry Ruggs III. Even before the combine, he was expected to run a sub-4.3 40-yard-dash. Many even thought he would come close to beating John Ross’s combine record 4.22 40.
Well, he didn’t, but he was still really fast. Ruggs ran a 2020 combine best 4.27 which matched Marquise Goodwin for the third-fastest 40 time at the combine in the past ten years.
So, it’s understandable he would be associated with speed.
That alone isn’t a bad thing. It’s only bad when people think you have little else to offer as a receiver.
Ruggs insists he is much more than just speed.
“I bring an explosive playmaker, a great receiver, a great all-around receiver,” Ruggs said over conference call with the media Thursday night.
“I can definitely show that at any time. Of course, my tape speaks for (itself), but when I get out on the field, I can show that I can do more than just run.”
Yes, some of his tape does speak for itself. But unfortunately there isn’t a lot of it. The Raiders want him to stretch the field as deep threat, but he had just four catches last season more than 20 yards downfield.
Adding to the criticism is how he never surpassed even 750 yards receiving in any season with the Crimson Tide.
Most will tell you his low numbers had a lot to do with the fact that he was playing with a seemingly never-ending NFL wide receiver talent factory at Alabama. His teammate Jerry Jeudy was the next receiver taken in the draft three picks later by the Broncos and Devonte Smith and Jaylen Waddle look like emerging NFL caliber talents as well.
“It definitely kind of held me back,” Ruggs says of his fellow ‘Bama receivers. “Those guys have to make their plays too. We have to share the ball and share the love. Everyone has the goods to make the plays. With that group of guys, it only makes you better. It makes you want to take advantage of every opportunity, fuels you to be competitive.”
Working in his favor with the Raiders is former Alabama teammate Josh Jacobs who suffered from a similar problem. Jacobs was never able to rise to starter level in Tuscaloosa and the Raiders still selected him at 24th overall in the 2019 draft and he went on to have what probably should have been a Rookie of the Year season.
A couple other stats speak highly of Ruggs despite his lack of overall production in the Crimson Tide offense. First of all, when he was thrown the ball, he usually caught it and often made the most of it. He had just one drop last season, the QB had a passer rating of 151.4 when throwing to him, he averaged 18.6 yards per catch, and finished third in team history in receiving touchdowns (24). As it happens, the two receivers ahead of him are Jerry Jeudy (26) and former Raiders receiver Amari Cooper (31).
The thing that causes many to scratch their heads is not the Ruggs isn’t talented, it’s that he was taken ahead of Jeudy and Oklahoma wideout CeeDee Lamb — both of whom had far more production. Lamb, in particular, had more yards per catch (21.4) and more career touchdowns (32).
The flipside is Lamb and Jeudy had a lot more targets in order to get their touchdowns and were sent on a lot more deep routes. Often times if a player is not sent deep a lot it’s because they aren’t good at it, but that isn’t necessarily always the case.
There’s no indication that Ruggs’s lack of deep targets are because he can’t do it, but merely that he wasn’t often asked to. And when you drop just one pass on 55 targets, there aren’t many who will criticize your hands either.
It would appear that Ruggs’s 98 career catches at Alabama were enough for Jon Gruden to know he was the guy who the Raiders needed to take the top off the defense. Although it may not be for those fans who saw the big numbers CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy put up in their college careers. Ruggs seems acutely aware of the fans’ desire to see more college production, and his need to outplay that at the NFL level.
“Just don’t be disappointed,” Ruggs said of his message to the fans. “I’m definitely here to not disappoint you guys. I’m ready to go, I’m
ready to get to work and do big things this upcoming season.”
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