John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Finding Broncos: Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama | How he Fits, Where he Goes
Measurements
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 188
Arms: 30-1/2 inches
Hands: 10-1/8 inches
Combine Results
40: 4.27 seconds
Vertical Jump: 42 inches
Broad Jump: 131 inches
Stats
Pros
- Speed
- Speed
- Speed
- Requires safety over the top
- Has good strides through his routes
- Tremendous returner value
- Defense killer on free releases
- Excellent slant route threat
- Reliable hands
- Solid at contested catches, though a limited number
- Quick hands to snatch the ball
- Natural hands
- Smoothness in routes
- Solid head fake to sell double moves
- Tough runner with the ball in his hands
- Physical blocker
Cons
- Physical corners can knock him off his routes
- Not much wiggle to avoid tackles
- Deep ball tracking can be hit or miss
- Routes can be cleaner
- Doesn’t box out corners from catch point
- Excess stutter steps in breaks
- Speed variation through routes doesn’t exist
- Didn’t deal with press coverage
- Solid in college at contested catches, but NFL is a different animal
- Often relies on speed over routes
Overview
There is more to Henry Ruggs than just being a 'speed guy', though that is an elite trait he brings. He is quite physical as a blocker and with the ball in his hands, but with that speed, you wish you saw more wiggle with him.
While they were very few in number, Ruggs did a solid job with contested catches, but want to see him use his frame to block out defenders from the catch point. If he did that, it would make his life even easier.
The best trait, besides his speed, are his reliable hands. A lot of other receivers deemed speedsters have had issues with drops, but that isn’t a concern with Ruggs with only one drop in 2019. There were medical concerns about his knee, but at the Combine, the word came back positive, making it a less of a worry.
Fit with Broncos
Denver needs that big-play threat, and that's what Ruggs is. He isn’t just a speed guy, but he brings elite-level speed, which just makes him more dangerous. Having Ruggs would easily open up the field for Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Phillip Lindsay, and/or whatever other weapons the Broncos end up with.
With the speed Ruggs brings, he dictates coverages because he forces defenses to give his cornerback safety help over the top, and if they don’t, you’re taking a deep shot. While his routes do need work, there should be confidence that Broncos WRs Coach Zach Azzanni, the guy who dramatically improved Sutton’s route running in one year, can have the same kind of effect on Ruggs.
Grade: Top-20
Where he Goes: Top-10
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