The Raiders made a fascinating decision in the 2020 NFL draft. With every receiver on the board, including two extremely decorated players in CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, the Raiders selected speedster Henry Ruggs at No. 12.
While both Jeudy and Lamb were the more complete and polished receivers, neither had the game-breaking speed that Ruggs possessed. And that’s the direction the Raiders decided to go early in Round 1.
Entering the 2021 season, the Raiders need Ruggs to be more than just the occasional deep threat. They need the former Alabama star to develop into their No. 1 receiver after the team lost Nelson Agholor in free agency this spring.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine named Ruggs as a potential breakout candidate for the Raiders. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about Ruggs entering his sophomore season:
“With a year under his belt and an actual offseason with minimal COVID-19 impact, the pieces are in place for him to come in with a better understanding of the offense and what it takes to succeed in the NFL. It’s a good thing because with Nelson Agholor gone to the Patriots, the Raiders need Ruggs to produce like a No. 1 receiver sooner than later.”
The best way Ruggs can improve is to stay healthy. He missed far too much time last year with injuries and that certainly stunted his development and his playing time. When he is on the field, he needs to show that he can be a more consistent route runner and can be trusted to run the full route tree.
If Ruggs does take the next step as so many in the organization believe he will, the Raiders could have one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. But they desperately need Ruggs to become that top-end receiver that they hoped he would become when they selected him in 2020.
Needless to say, 2021 is a big season for Henry Ruggs.
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