Byron Jewell | April 11th, 2020
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama #11
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 188 pounds
Eligibility: Junior
Games watched: LSU (2019), Auburn (2019), South Carolina (2019), Auburn (2018), Texas A&M (2018)
A highlight machine in college, I checked out the speedy Alabama wide receiver and his game.
Make sure to check out all of our other scouting reports here.
Speed: 10/10 – Blink and he’s already in the end zone. His speed and acceleration are ELECTRIC, and he proved that at the NFL Combine, where he ran a blazing 4.27 40 yard dash. With that time, he’s officially the fastest player in the entire draft. No question marks here, as it’s the best quality he posses.
Hands: 9/10 – Shows excellent concentration on the ball as he has really soft hands. Tested with large hands at 10 1/8” at the NFL Combine. He doesn’t use his body to haul in passes and shows nice hand strength with some tough catches in traffic. Didn’t much of any drops.
Route Running: 8.5/10 – Struggles sparingly with press coverage, but deals with it well overall. Alabama ran a lot of creative plays to get him the ball in space and often had a lot of pre-snap adjustments to help Ruggs with physical defenders. Explosiveness off the LOS gives him a huge advantage against most corners.
IQ: 9.5/10 – Great knowledge of the game. Coached by some of the best coaches in college football at Alabama where they ran a West Coast offensive attack that’s very similar to most NFL offenses. Knows how to work against soft cushion and leverage really well.
RAC: 10/10 – This is the best part of Ruggs’ game. His athleticism translates well after the catch and can make multiple guys miss on any given play. Elite agility, balance, feet, and speed play big here. Absolutely dynamic in the open field and has the best RAC ability in the class.
Contested Catch: 7.5/10 – Given his smaller stature, just 5’11″ and 188 pounds, this is tough for Ruggs. Not a jump-ball catcher by any means, but his elite athleticism allows him to at least have a chance to make a play on the ball more times than not.
Blocking: 8/10 – As mentioned, he’s not the biggest guy on the field, but he certainly isn’t a slouch. Good enough upper body strength to hold his own here. Takes pride in blocking and showed he has some surprising aggression in him.
Athleticism: 10/10 – Freak is not even a good enough word to use here. Alien, perhaps? Ruggs is the most athletic player in the class. Extremely explosive, strong lower body and his long speed are just simply unmatched. His whole game is built around his world-class athleticism.
Henry Ruggs III is a WR prospect in the 2020 draft class out of Alabama.
He posted an elite #RAS with poor size, elite speed, elite explosiveness, at the WR position.https://t.co/v4nVUvFWad pic.twitter.com/gxWP2KMgkn
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 28, 2020
Release: 9/10 – Looks like he’s being shot out of a cannon. If he doesn’t have an overly physical defender across from him at the line of scrimmage, it’s all but over for the defender. Allow Ruggs to gain a step, and it’s near impossible for a defender to close the gap. Uses his impressive get off well but bigger body corners with longer arms have more success here than most.
Body Control: 9/10 – With elite speed and explosion, you need to have good body control. Ruggs just so happens does. Runs with great balance and positions himself well to make a play. He’s a natural athlete and is just so fluid with or without the ball and knows how to box-out defenders on passes.
Overall: 91.5/100
NFL Comparison: Tyreek Hill
Draft Projection: Top 15 selection
Top Team Fits: Jets, Raiders, 49ers, Broncos,
Ruggs will hope to carry his world-class speed and athleticism to the NFL and looks to be a top selection in this year’s draft. A consensus top three wideout in the class, he’s a true game breaker and can take the top off the defense in an instant. He’s a lot more than just a “speed guy” as he shows crisp route running, great concentration, soft hands, and excellent playmaking ability. He will a top contributor from day one and will provide an instant spark to an offense the right team.
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