When the Raiders went on the clock wth the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they had the choice of any receiver in the class. The options were endless in what appeared to be one of the best and deepest wide receiver classes in recent memory.
The Raiders ultimately decided to go with Henry Ruggs III over the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, both of whom are considered more polished receivers. But the reasoning behind the selection was that Ruggs brought something to the table that no other receiver had in this class; world-class speed.
Through five games, we are seeing what Ruggs’ speed can do for this offense While it doesn’t always show up in the box score, his ability to stretch the defense allows players like Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow to be even more dangerous underneath.
In a recent article by Sosa Kremenjas of Pro Football Focus, he ranked all the rookie receivers through the first five weeks of the 2020 season. Due to missing a few games, Ruggs didn’t finish at the top of the list. However, the site couldn’t stop praising him for what he’s done so far when he’s been on the field:
“The speed demon has flashed a ton of the vertical ability that got him drafted so highly on his 68 receiving snaps. Ruggs has pulled in only six of his 11 targets, but for 177 receiving yards, one touchdown and three explosive pass plays (15-plus yards downfield). His raw box-score totals won’t blow anyone away, but his efficiency metrics are awesome; Ruggs ranks third in average depth of target (21.6), second in receiving yards per reception (29.5), third in yards after the catch per reception (10.8) and 14th in yards per route run (2.60) among all receivers with five-plus targets on the season.”
Ruggs likely won’t ever put up the same type of numbers as players like Lamb or Jeudy, but that doesn’t mean his impact isn’t equal or greater. His speed and ability to win in the air make him one of the most dangerous receivers in the league. But more importantly, he’s already making teammates like Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs better. That’s pretty impressive for a rookie receiver who has only played three games.
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