When the Raiders selected Henry Ruggs III with the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the expectation was that Ruggs would start his career on the outside, likely at the X position. With Hunter Renfrow already established as the team’s slot receiver and Tyrell Williams as the team’s “Z” receiver.
However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, according to offensive coordinator Greg Olson. In his recent media session, Olson revealed where Ruggs will begin his career:
“We’ll start with Ruggs III in the slot and do some things with Ruggs III. But those guys (Ruggs and Bryan Edwards) are very multiple in what they can do and that’s the goal is to be able to move all of them around to different spots; the one, two or three position at the wide receiver.”
Ruggs isn’t completely new to the slot position as he played 218 snaps there over the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. Typically, rookies have an easier time producing in the slot rather than on the outside as they often face less press coverage.
Putting Ruggs in the slot will also allow him to get the ball in his hands quicker, giving him room to use his speed in the middle of the field. Despite his 4.2 speed, Ruggs is actually at his best when he makes plays on the move, rather than down the field.
What is fascinating about the Raiders playing Ruggs in the slot is what will happen to the other receivers on the roster. Williams will likely remain entrenched at the “Z”, while fellow rookie Bryan Edwards could potentially start at the “X”.
But where does that leave Hunter Renfrow? Unfortunately, that would mean that he would spend the majority of the time on the bench as he doesn’t have the size or speed to play on the outside. However, Olson mentioned moving Ruggs around, so it is certainly possible the team could move the former Alabama star to the outside to free up Renfrow to play in the slot.
What is clear is that the Raiders are planning on using Bryan Edwards a lot this season and are trying to find ways to get he and Ruggs on the field at the same time. Both players will move around quite a bit, but expect Ruggs to see more slot work than we might have anticipated.
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