The 49ers are at least doing their due diligence on the 2020 wide receiver class. Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs said via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group that he met with San Francisco, making him the third top WR prospect to announce at least an informal meeting with the club. LSU’s Justin Jefferson and TCHU’s Jalen Reagor also said they talked with the 49ers at the combine.
Ruggs has the type of game-changing speed the 49ers’ receiving corps lacked without Marquise Goodwin in the lineup last season. He clocked in at a 4.27 in the 40-yard dash at the combine.
The former Alabama receiver used that speed to reel in 86 catches for 1,487 yards and 18 touchdowns over his final two college seasons. Despite his blazing speed, he ran it only twice in college for 75 yards and a touchdown. It stands to reason a coach like Kyle Shanahan could find ways to utilize Ruggs’ speed more in the run game.
This year’s wide receiver class is deep, and the 49ers could use an injection of talent at that position, so it makes sense they’re getting started early on their research into those prospects.
