Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, it was nearly a given that the Raiders would select a wide receiver with the No. 12 pick. However, guessing who Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden would choose was anyone’s guess as there were three worthy names to consider at that spot.
Ultimately, the Raiders decided to use that selection on Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs despite him catching just 98 career passes in college. Undoubtedly, his rare speed led to the decision as it’s difficult to find players with that home run ability in the NFL.
While some questioned the fit with Derek Carr, Ruggs actually makes a ton of sense in the Raiders’ offense. According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, Ruggs’ best route in college was a “dig” route, which just so happens to be one of the throws Carr makes at a high level. Here is a snippet of Walder’s thoughts on Ruggs and the “dig” route.
Based on his speedy 4.27-second 40-yard dash and burner reputation, I’d have guessed that the go route would have been the answer for Ruggs here. But that would have been wrong. Despite his straight-line speed, Ruggs ran fewer go routes over the past two seasons than most of the other receivers drafted in April. But he had slightly better results relative to his peers on dig routes, and he ran more of them, too.
Ruggs’ speed would suggest he’s a downfield threat (and he is), but where he really wins is after the catch. If Carr and the rest of the Raiders’ offense can find ways to get him the ball in open space, he should have no problem producing as a rookie. Look for Jon Gruden to scheme up ways to get Ruggs the ball and for dig routes to be a staple of the Raiders’ offense.
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