12. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Height: 5’11″ Weight: 188
40-Yard Dash: 4.27 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 42 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 11 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Henry Ruggs III came to the game of football late in high school, finally committing to the sport full time his junior year. Coming out of Alabama’s Robert E. Lee High School Ruggs had offers from Florida State, Auburn, Florida and Michigan but ultimately decided to stay close to home and play for Nick Saban at Alabama. He saw minimal playing time as a true freshman, but worked his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2018 and never looked back. He caught 46 passes for 729 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018, and another 40 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns last season. In each of his years with the Crimson Tide, Ruggs averaged over 15 yards per reception, including an impressive 18.6 a year ago.
What also helps his game is his well-rounded athletic background. Ruggs was also dominant on the basketball court as well as in track and field, and his senior year in high school he set a state record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.58 seconds.
Stat to Know: Ruggs dropped just five passes during his Alabama career, despite seeing a total of 139 targets.
Strengths: It is extremely easy to point at that 40-yard dash time and list speed as the first strength. It is certainly warranted, as Ruggs has the blazing wheels to make him a home run threat on any route, from anywhere on the field. I mean…
In case you didn't already know, HENRY RUGGS IS INCREDIBLY FAST. pic.twitter.com/BKdh50EJh3
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 14, 2019
You cannot coach that, you cannot teach that, and you ultimately might fail to stop that. Ruggs has the potential to turn plays like that from an eight-yard gain into a touchdown in the blink of an eye.
But you would be mistaken to call Ruggs purely a speed guy. He is a solid route-runner who is unafraid to work over the middle of the field. Ruggs tracks the football well in the vertical passing game, and given his speed he is a threat on jet sweeps and in the screen game. Plus, similar to how the Kansas City Chiefs use Tyreek Hill, you can use him as a decoy at times. Send him in jet motion and watch the defense over-react, and then hit them for a huge play using another offensive piece.
Ruggs also is solid at the catch point, as illustrated by the small number of drops over his collegiate career.
Weaknesses: Some might point to his production, in contrast with say Jeudy’s, and wonder why with his combination of route-running and speed Ruggs did not put up better numbers. At first blush this could be a fair complaint, but remember that Ruggs was playing with Jeudy (a first-round talent this year) as well as Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, who are likely future first-round selections. There are only so many targets to go around, and with Ruggs seeing the vast majority of his snaps on the outside, some of the players operating in the slot were often the first read. With four potential early picks to choose from, Alabama’s quarterbacks often knew their first read was going to be open.
Ruggs also could learn to attack defenders a bit better, in terms of setting them up with his release, attacking their leverage, threatening their frame and then getting separation off this breaks. His speed has enabled him to get consistent separation in the college game, but he will face a more level playing field at the next level.
Conclusion: Ultimately, Ruggs has that Ace card that you cannot scheme for as a defense: Pure speed. The NFL is a copycat league and teams that are trying to build an offense similar to what Andy Reid has assembled in Kansas City are going to want a player like Ruggs, who can force a defense to over-react and leave themselves exposed somewhere else on the field. Ruggs’ ability to stress a defense at every level of the field is going to cause defensive coordinators headaches from the day he enters the league.
Comparison: Having mentioned it earlier, his speed and potential usage is similar to how Tyreek Hill is utilized in Kansas City.