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2020 NFL Draft: Could Henry Ruggs III Unlock a New Element for the Jaguars' Offense?

Is Henry Ruggs' speed enticing enough to make him a potential target for the Jaguars in April's first round?
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As the 2020 offseason progresses, JaguarReport is going to be taking extended looks of some NFL draft prospects who could theoretically make sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars at some point in April.

In this version, we examine Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, who shared the field with fellow wide receiver prospect Jerry Jeudy and a number of other dangerous playmakers for the Crimson Tide. He has world-class speed that was on display during a 4.27 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, but does this speed mean Ruggs makes sense as a Jaguars' target in the first round? 

Overview

A true freshman on Alabama's 2017 National Championship team, Ruggs was an impact player from his first year in the Crimson Tide's offense. The young, speedy receiver entered into an already stacked Alabama offense and caught touchdowns on half of his receptions, recording 12 receptions for 229 yards and six touchdowns. 

In 2018, Ruggs' production skyrocketed, landing him on the radar for NFL teams and analysts alike. In a record-breaking Alabama offense, Ruggs became one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league, recording 46 receptions for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns.

As a junior in 2019, Ruggs had to share the field with a crop of talented pass-catchers but still provided Alabama with his fair share of game-changing plays, recording 40 receptions for 746 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. 

At the end of his collegiate career, Ruggs caught only 98 passes, but he turned 24 of these into touchdowns, meaning he scored on nearly 25% of his receptions, a remarkable rate of big-play production.

What Henry Ruggs III does well

What will Ruggs bring to whichever NFL offense he is drafted into? It is simple: speed, speed, and more speed. 

Ruggs is typically the fastest player on the field each time he steps onto it, which is evident by his blazing 40-yard dash time at the combine. Whether it is flying vertically down the field and running by even the fastest of cornerbacks or taking a pass across the middle and then outrunning the entirety of the opposing defense, Ruggs' speed makes him a threat to score each and every time he touches the ball. 

His movements are sudden and explosive and his second gear is one that goes unmatched each time he is in space. This makes him a threat as a deep ball receiver who can get behind a defense, or as a wide receiver who can feast in space on drags, slants, and crossing routes. 

What makes Ruggs even more dangerous as a wide receiver is his ability to control his incredible speed. He can stop and go on a dime, putting cornerbacks in compromising positions along the sideline since he can force them to open their hips early. He does a good job of flashing his hands late in the route, not tipping off when the ball is coming or what route he is running. 

As a deep ball tracker, Ruggs is terrific in terms of matching his speed and route stem to the trajectory and timing of the pass, limiting plays in which he outruns the ball. On plays along the sideline, he has displayed terrific body control and an ability to manipulate any space given to him by the cornerback. 

Speed isn't his only asset after the catch, either. He has great toughness for his size (5-foot-11, 188-pounds), featuring tendencies to lower his shoulder upon contact or even spin off of tackles.

As a route runner, Ruggs has encouraging traits that could lead coaches to believe he can be more than a niche deep threat or space receiver. His breaks are smooth and feature little wasted motion, while his releases put cornerbacks at an instant disadvantage due to his speed. He runs some of the best slant routes you will see thanks to his cat-like agility to cut inside after setting a cornerback up vertically. 

What Henry Ruggs III needs to improve at

The biggest issue Ruggs could have at the next level is dealing with physicality. Most players can't keep up with his speed, so they will opt to instead mix it up with him physically. Whether it is diverting press coverage to his side or contesting him at the catch point by boxing him out, cornerbacks will attempt to throw Ruggs off his game. 

Ruggs won't win many contested passes despite his terrific control because that just isn't his game. He has a wiry frame and his catch radius isn't spectacular, leading to opportunities for cornerbacks to contest him when he is forced to attack the ball in the air as opposed to tracking it.

While Ruggs' speed can threaten any defense, he will have to adjust to the physicality of the NFL and how defenses adjust to his game. This will mean varied approaches to his route running and releases, as he won't be able to simply run away from defenders at the line of scrimmage as often as he did at Alabama. 

But aside from these points, Ruggs is a relatively clean prospect. He has good hands, can track the deep ball, and has world-class speed and run after the catch ability. He didn't get a high volume of pass targets at Alabama, which could be a red flag to some, but his niche role won't require him to rack up targets at the next level.

Overall

In terms of his fit with the Jaguars, Ruggs could open up a lot for the rest of the Jacksonville offense. Safeties have to be aware of where he is on the field at all times, meaning he can impact a game by simply lining up across from a cornerback and gaining the attention of the rest of the defense. His speed will beat defenses if they aren't careful, so this extra attention could lead to increased opportunities for the other weapons on the offense. 

Ruggs wouldn't be a safety blanket target for Garnder Minshew II, but he would provide him with a deep threat who can outrun any defensive back, as well as an underneath target who can thrive in space. Ruggs is simply a game-changer on the field, something the rest of the Jaguars' receiving group can't say, aside from DJ Chark.

He will be limited somewhat by his frame, size, and playing style, but the sky is still the limit for Ruggs and his immensely impressive ceiling. In an offense like Jay Gruden's, Ruggs could be schemed open while still having enough chances to win deep. Thanks to his speed, he doesn't need to see a ton of targets to impact a game or a defense's plan of attack, which makes him valuable regardless of his draft spot. 

Ruggs may not have the traits to be a volume wide receiver who is the focal point of a passing game, but it would be hard for the Jaguars to pass on him at No. 20. No other player in the class offers the skills he possesses, making him a rare and invaluable commodity.