Fantasy Football: Searching for 2020’s top rookie wide receiver
By Ben Grivas
Henry Ruggs III
Talent
Despite receiving significantly less work than teammate Jerry Jeudy, Ruggs was still seen as a top-5 wide receiver talent headed into the draft. His combine-leading 40 time (4.27 sec) must have raised some eyebrows in the Raiders front office, who decided to draft Alabama’s #2 target as the first receiver off the board. I mean, the man averaged 18.7 yards per reception last year against SEC defenses. But he’s not just fast, he’s a talented pass-catcher, registering just one drop in 2019 and 4 in his career. Check him out:
https://twitter.com/Raiders/status/1291814528972238848?s=20
Opportunity
Ruggs may have seemed a like mismatch in Las Vegas, as Derek Carr hasn’t been known to air the ball out deep with his career 6.9 yards per attempt, and the deep ball is Ruggs’ bread and butter. However, last year Carr significantly upped his Y/A to 7.9, rivaling Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. Maybe he can air it out just like any other NFL quarterback?
The Raiders have stated that Ruggs will play from the slot in 2020, which is good for Ruggs because it will let him use his elite run after the catch ability. With the opportunity to stretch the field and receive short passes up the middle, Ruggs could be a big part of his offense from Week 1. The Raiders have no star wide receiver to limit Ruggs’ upside, as Hunter Renfrow and Tyrell Williams spent last year battling for touches, and Ruggs is more talented than either of them.
My concerns about Ruggs involve the state of the Raiders offense. They’re primarily a run-first team that should rely of Josh Jacobs and their elite offensive line to move the ball down the field. Derek Carr only threw 22 passing touchdowns last year. This certainly doesn’t do Ruggs any favors, limiting his volume and touchdown upside. Ruggs is not a slam dunk pick this year, but he does have breakout potential. He has a WR2 ceiling if everything goes right, including Carr improving, so realistically he has WR3 upside.