One of the biggest knocks about Henry Ruggs coming out of Alabama was that he didn’t have elite production like CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy. In his three years with the Crimson tide, he totaled just 1,702 receiving yards. To put that in perspective, his teammate in Jeudy had 1,313 yards in 2018 alone.
Ruggs was used as an outside receiver for Alabama and was primarily targeted down the field, limiting his production. However, fans shouldn’t be concerned about his lack of production for a few different reasons.
The first being that Ruggs was highly efficient in college. In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they showed his yards per target, yards after the catch per reception and passer rating when thrown to over the last two seasons. As you can see below, Ruggs was the most efficient receiver in college football since 2018.
Whenever Ruggs was targeted, go things happened for him and the rest of the Alabama squad. In the NFL, his efficiency will certainly drop some, but he should be able to make enough big plays down the field to be worth the No. 12 pick.
The other reason why Ruggs’ lack of production shouldn’t be a concern was due to the rest of the talent on the field. Alabama another first-round pick at wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy along with two other stars in Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, who could both be first-round picks next year.
Ruggs might not be a 100-catch player in the NFL, but his big-play explosiveness and ability to open up the passing game for the rest of the offense with his speed make him worth the No. 12 selection. It will be fascinating to see how Jon Gruden uses his new toy in the offense.
[vertical-gallery id=66210]
[lawrence-newsletter]