The 2020 offseason as a very productive one for the Raiders as the team made serval quality signings and draft selections. But none was smarter or more needed than the pick of wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in the first round.
The wide receiver position was the team’s biggest weaknesses during the 2019 season and the unit desperately need to add speed. Ruggs have proven that he is more than just a speed receiver and that is why he was worthy of the No. 12 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In a recent piece by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he ranked the smartest moves each team made this offseason. Not surprisingly, the pick of Ruggs at No. 12 was the Raiders’ best acquisition in 2020. Here is a snippet of why Knox believes the Ruggs pick made so much sense for Las Vegas:
“Drafting (Henry) Ruggs was smart because it gives Gruden and the Raiders an opportunity to better evaluate Carr—and it gives them a potential top-tier receiver even if Carr isn’t the one who’s throwing Ruggs the ball next season.”
Knox makes a great point about how Ruggs will help the Raiders make a decision on Carr as his biggest weakness in his NFL career has been his unwillingness to throw the ball down the field. In fairness to Carr, he’s never really had a deep threat of the caliber of Ruggs and that could be why he hasn’t been more aggressive as a passer.
Whoever the team’s long term quarterback ends up being, they will greatly benefit by having Ruggs on the field. Not only can he create big plays for himself, but he should always draw the attention of safeties, leaving the underneath routes open for his teammates. Ruggs might not have a big impact on the box score this season, but his impact on the offense will be great.
