Raiders pull a fast one with Ruggs
Time to break out the old “Speed Kills” sign adorned with the No. 21 in honor of the late Cliff Branch.
It had a weekly presence at the Coliseum, where Branch would beat press corners deep and haul in a long one from Ken Stabler en route to the north end zone for another touchdown. The Raiders had their pick of the three wide receivers considered the top prospects in the NFL draft Thursday night and pulled a fast one.
It might be time for a new sign when the Raiders get to Allegiant Stadium.
Meet Henry Ruggs III, who wasn’t Alabama’s top receiver but the one with the most speed and a man who knows the end zone. He caught 98 passes for the Crimson Tide in three seasons, as compared to 159 for teammate Jerry Jeudy, who went two selections later within the division to the Denver Broncos.
With their second pick, the Raiders went defense and a player they hope will be able to stop the NFL’s fastest receivers in Ohio State corner Damon Arnette, who was second banana to Jeff Okudah in the same way Ruggs was to Jeudy.
Jeudy had 2,742 yards receiving to 1,716 for Ruggs and 26 touchdowns to 24 for Ruggs. Jeudy is considered more of a finished product in terms of running routes and coming out of breaks. The other top wideout was Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, whose physicality and tackle breaking ability set him apart.
But will teams be fearful of Jeudy or Lamb? The Raiders are gambling that Ruggs, as Branch did for so many years, is more likely to strike terror in the hearts of defensive coordinators because of his ability to get downfield and find the end zone. One
of every four of Ruggs’ receptions went for a touchdown.
It’s a pick Al Davis, king of the stopwatch, would have loved. Davis would have had a hard time believing that Ruggs, who timed a 4.27 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, fell as far as No. 12.
“Trust me, when we took the fastest wideout in the draft, Mr. (Mark) Davis said his father was looking down and smiling,” Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said by conference call.
Ruggs is the fastest receiver the Raiders have selected since Darrius Heyward-Bey, Davis’ last attempt at finding a vertical gamebreaker. Heyward-Bey went No. 7 overall in 2009.
But make no mistake.
Ruggs is not Heyward-Bey, who was ticketed for a late first-round selection but overdrafted by the Raiders. Ruggs can race under deep balls, has good hands and catches the ball away from his body. Those were skills Heyward-Bey didn’t have when he arrived and never fully developed. According to Profootballfocus.com, Ruggs dropped only one pass last season.
Ruggs, in a conference call with Raiders beat writers, believes he has proven he is more than a sprinter.
“I can definitely show that at any time,” Ruggs said. “Of course, my tape speaks for myself, but when I get out on the field, I can show that I can do more than just run.”
There’s still an element of risk, because it goes with the territory of drafting a wide receiver, when it isn’t uncommon for players to drafted in the second and third rounds
to outperform those taken in the first.
And while Ruggs’ speed makes for a nostalgic selection, there are practical reasons as well.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat in the conference, are opponents twice a year in the AFC West, and are 12-2 against the Raiders since Andy Reid arrived in 2013. The Chiefs have Tyreek Hill, one of the NFL’s most feared offensive players and the man who broke the 49ers heart with a 44-yard reception on third-and-15 in the Super Bowl.
That pass traveled nearly 60 yards in the air. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has long been criticized for being unwilling or unable to throw the deep ball. Carr is certainly able. Now with Ruggs aboard, in theory, Carr will be more willing.
Carr will also discover teams less likely to crowd the line of scrimmage to choke off the short passing game.
The first time Ruggs races downfield, splits a seam and outruns defenders with an angle, everything changes for the rest of the offense.
Tight end Darren Waller gets less attention, with a player siphoned off the defense to account for Ruggs. Hunter Renfrow, who already is adept at finding open areas in the slot, will have more of those areas to work with. Safeties will be less inclined to come up in to the box to stuff running back Josh Jacobs, knowing full well that if Gruden and Carr go play-action, Ruggs could find himself all by his lonesome past the last line of defense.
That doesn’t even take into account Tyrell Williams, who had his 2019 season ruined by plantar faciitis on both feet and will be counted upon for much better.