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WR Henry Ruggs III (1 Viewer)

Ruggs was extremely raw coming out of college. He wasn't your conventional high rep, high volume, route tree guy. He was sort of a gadget player at Alabama. Covid really impacted his development with no training camp as well. His initial allure was that he would open things up for the entire offense with his speed, just having him out there not catching the ball is still worth the first round investment at this early stage (as ridiculous as that may sound) for that reason. Statistically speaking, it may take him 2-3 seasons to get off the ground.

 
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DocHolliday said:
They don’t even try to use him which is really odd after using a number 12 pick on him.  
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It's puzzling, but there's no reason in hell Ruggs can't be AT LEAST a quality FF WR in time. I'm convinced he will be (& very likely more).

Great buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues. His owners aren't likely to give up on him yet, but you might be able to work a bigger deal where you have to pay less on his actual value & more along the lines of his real-time value.

 
Football Jones said:
It's puzzling, but there's no reason in hell Ruggs can't be AT LEAST a quality FF WR in time. I'm convinced he will be (& very likely more).

Great buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues. His owners aren't likely to give up on him yet, but you might be able to work a bigger deal where you have to pay less on his actual value & more along the lines of his real-time value.
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His future is positive but I don’t ever expect production that matches Jeudy, Lamb, Jefferson, and Higgins for example.   Seems like D Jackson boom-bust type of role and never a true WR 1.  

 
Teezee said:
Ruggs was extremely raw coming out of college. He wasn't your conventional high rep, high volume, route tree guy. He was sort of a gadget player at Alabama. Covid really impacted his development with no training camp as well. His initial allure was that he would open things up for the entire offense with his speed, just having him out there not catching the ball is still worth the first round investment at this early stage (as ridiculous as that may sound) for that reason. Statistically speaking, it may take him 2-3 seasons to get off the ground.
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This was not the standard take on him.

Greg Cosell:

I really like Ruggs because I thought he was a far better route runner than people talk about because he’s so fast,” Cosell said. “I thought he was pretty nuanced as a route runner. Not as nuanced as his teammate, (Jerry) Jeudy. The reason I love watching tape and seeing full games is because sometimes you see a guy run a great route, he doesn’t get the ball, but he runs a great route and beats a quality corner. He ran around Kristian Fulton of LSU and he did not get the ball. Jeudy actually got the ball on that play. Ruggs made Kristian Fulton look silly but no one saw that because he didn’t get the ball. … Stylistically … I thought he reminded me a little of Isaac Bruce.
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I think

DocHolliday said:
His future is positive but I don’t ever expect production that matches Jeudy, Lamb, Jefferson, and Higgins for example.   Seems like D Jackson boom-bust type of role and never a true WR 1.  
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I think the jury is still out IMO.

No question Ruggs doesn't get targeted as much as these others in their respective offense, and as much as he should. Especially with Ty Williams sitting, we have a need to have guys fill a true WR1 place, and so far the guy stepping up to do that is Agholor.

But for all of the targets a guy like Jeudy, Higgins, or Lamb may get compared to Ruggs (Jeudy has 51 more, Lamb 47 and Higgins 45 more) their yardage is only about 333-373 yards more than Ruggs has with much more limited opportunity. Jeudy has only one more TD and Higgins and Lamb have 3 more.

With this crop having the likes of Jefferson, Claypool, Lamb, and even Higgins contributing right away, we lose sight of the fact that not all WRs come in and play elite -- or just very good -- in their first season. Wasn't too long ago the adage was that Year 3 was the big breakout year for WRs -- until 2014 came with guys like Beckham, Evans, Landry, Watkins, Cooks, Adams, Robinson, and a few others. 

This year raised the bar again with all those WRs you mentioned -- and throw in Claypool and Aiyuk in there too -- for WRs suddenly being meaningful contributors in Year 1. 

Not all WRs have that trajectory.

Whether it's trust or getting timing down or simply designing more opportunities, Raiders definitely need to get him more involved than they have this year.

I also think there is still time for Ruggs to truly break out, though likely next season, not this one. 

We'll see -- but the Raiders should start to look to trust him more if they want to goose that trajectory either way.

 
DocHolliday said:
His future is positive but I don’t ever expect production that matches Jeudy, Lamb, Jefferson, and Higgins for example.   Seems like D Jackson boom-bust type of role and never a true WR 1.  
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Personally, I'm holding out a fair bit of hope he'll be a stud. In fact, I sort of expect it.

Ruggs' releases are pretty slick, good route runner, & he can pluck the ball.

Just about everything is there but situation. I expect that to change at some point.

 
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Week 12 Dynasty Risers and Fallers: How high can Justin Jefferson go?

Excerpt:

FALLER: WR HENRY RUGGS III, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Ruggs, as the first receiver off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft, has existed on the other end of the spectrum. His 57.8 receiving grade is dismal and he has no more than three receptions in a game. Ruggs dealt with knee and hamstring injuries to start the year but has still played in eight games. He ranks fifth on his team in targets, and head coach Jon Gruden has refused to give him an every-down role. In the games he has been healthy, Ruggs is running a route on just 74.4% of Derek Carr’s dropbacks. For reference, Jefferson and Jerry Jeudy are both over 80% — with Jefferson approaching 90%. 

Unsurprisingly, Ruggs’ biggest issue is Carr’s playstyle. In college, Ruggs ran crossing routes most often, followed by go routes and then screens. His average depth of target was only 11.8 yards. A common refrain for dynasty players was that Ruggs wasn’t just a deep threat and that Carr’s propensity to take high-percentage, short-yardage throws could actually be a benefit to the rookie. 

Jon Gruden must not have watched enough film on Ruggs because he is currently using him almost exclusively as a downfield burner. His most common routes are at the NFL level have been go and out routes, with corner and crossing routes tied for third. Two of his most commons routes attack the deepest part of the field, and his average depth of target is 18.7 yards as a result. Carr’s average depth of target, meanwhile, is 7.7 yards downfield.

The Raiders have simply misused Ruggs, and unless his role changes, he isn’t going to be a relevant fantasy option. The biggest difficulty for him will be that the Raiders’ approach is working for their overall success. Carr is currently a top-10 graded passer, and Las Vegas is sitting at 6-3. Ruggs’ value is dipping, and his usage indicates that it may not be worth the risk to try and catch the falling knife.
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It'll be interesting to see if that play was just a one-off fluke or the light just came on for Ruggs to start showing why he was the first receiver drafted.

 
Raiders placed WR Henry Ruggs on the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Even if Ruggs is merely a "close contact," he is now out for Thursday's game against the Chargers, as he must quarantine for five days. Ruggs popped up for 3/84/1 in Week 13 but returned to 3/18/0 for Week 14. It has been a disappointing, lightly-used rookie season for the No. 12 overall pick, but not yet one that portends doom for the rest of his NFL career. The 21-year-old is simply a work in progress. Ruggs' lack of clear-out deep speed will be an issue for Derek Carr against the Bolts. 

Dec 15, 2020, 5:21 PM ET
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Faust said:
Ruggs' lack of clear-out deep speed will be an issue for Derek Carr against the Bolts
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Very interesting sentence there. Not quite how the author envisioned getting the point across that without Ruggs, there will be less speed and pressure on the defense.

 
Henry Ruggs (COVID-19) is expected to re-join the team this week, but his status for Week 16 against the Dolphins is uncertain.

Ruggs missed Week 15 while on the COVID-19 list. At this point we still are not sure who is starting at quarterback for the Raiders with Derek Carr returning to practice, but it would help the entire team for Ruggs to be on the field to threaten the verticals on the outside.

SOURCE: Vincent Bonsignore on Twitter

Dec 23, 2020, 7:53 PM ET
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Raiders activated WR Henry Ruggs from the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Ruggs ended up missing nine days and one game. Ruggs was displaying flickering signs of momentum before his COVID diagnosis but not enough to put him on the WR4 radar in fantasy. Now he must deal with one of the league's best secondaries in Miami. Ruggs is off the re-draft radar for the fantasy finals. 

Dec 24, 2020, 4:57 PM ET
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Twenty-Four Eighty-Four said:
CFB Sicko said:
Still one of the more intriguing WR prospects going forward. Game changing talent
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Yeah I have him in dynasty and am holding. Not getting any offers close to what he could be, not surprised by that, but at that point I'd rather hold.
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Not surprised his value is so low considering he’s done very little compared to several other rookie WRs. Not every guy hits right away, so I agree he’s a strong hold (much like his ex-college teammate Jeudy).

 
zamboni said:
Not surprised his value is so low considering he’s done very little compared to several other rookie WRs. Not every guy hits right away, so I agree he’s a strong hold (much like his ex-college teammate Jeudy).
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I love Jeudy. He's gonna have a huge season next year. He's incredibly can't miss, imo.

 
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Another game, same result. Good news is if you like him you can get him for cheap. But not being able to make an impact on what is arguably the least talented WR core in the league...he becomes a huge pass going forward.

 
King of the Jungle said:
Another game, same result. Good news is if you like him you can get him for cheap. But not being able to make an impact on what is arguably the least talented WR core in the league...he becomes a huge pass going forward.
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I can’t imagine that he is a starter next season for the Raiders.  Probably the WR 4 in LV.   

 
DocHolliday said:
I can’t imagine that he is a starter next season for the Raiders.  Probably the WR 4 in LV.   
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I think draft capital alone will put him in the starting lineup, even if it’s not really deserving. Would like to see what Edwards can do.

 
DocHolliday said:
I can’t imagine that he is a starter next season for the Raiders.  Probably the WR 4 in LV.   
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He must be terrible to not garner anymore targets than what he has been seeing. 🚩 You would think they would manufacture more touches in space but apparently he doesn’t provide them with enough confidence to do so. Time to cut losses in FF.

 
Coaching staff sucks in raiderville.  

If y’all drafted him, I’m sorry. He’s never going to amount to much, with the current coaching staff. 

 
DA RAIDERS said:
Coaching staff sucks in raiderville.  

If y’all drafted him, I’m sorry. He’s never going to amount to much, with the current coaching staff. 
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He’s not going to be good period.   He’s not built to be a true WR1 since he’s too small to grab contested catches.   He just gets knocked out of position.    He’s good for a couple of catches/game when he gets behind defenses and nothing more.  He isn’t even a gadget player.  Maybe the coaches think he will be injured more if he is involved too much on the field. 

 
King of the Jungle said:
He must be terrible to not garner anymore targets than what he has been seeing. 🚩 You would think they would manufacture more touches in space but apparently he doesn’t provide them with enough confidence to do so. Time to cut losses in FF.
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I had this exact thought last night.  I can't figure out if Carr is the problem or if he is.  My preliminary thought is that he doesn't know the offense properly yet so the coaching staff doesn't trust him with targets and he's way down the progression list. 

 
Hankmoody said:
I had this exact thought last night.  I can't figure out if Carr is the problem or if he is.  My preliminary thought is that he doesn't know the offense properly yet so the coaching staff doesn't trust him with targets and he's way down the progression list. 
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Seems unlikely that at this point he doesn’t know the offense. I agree there might be a trust issue, which may also explain the virtual non-existence of Edwards.

 
Don't get me wrong, I don't think he's going to be a perennial Pro Bowler or anything, but I'm not ready to write him off just yet. Shortened off-season, I'm not a Carr believer and sometimes I wonder if Gruden knows what he's doing anymore. Fix a few of those and I think he'll start making some plays.

 
Twenty-Four Eighty-Four said:
Don't get me wrong, I don't think he's going to be a perennial Pro Bowler or anything, but I'm not ready to write him off just yet. Shortened off-season, I'm not a Carr believer and sometimes I wonder if Gruden knows what he's doing anymore. Fix a few of those and I think he'll start making some plays.
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I agree better days are ahead but seems a waste of the #12 pick overall for a field stretcher if that’s the plan. Lots of credible speed guys can fill that role.

 
Henry Ruggs did not catch either of his targets in the Raiders' Week 16 loss to the Dolphins.

Ruggs now has six games under 20 receiving yards and just four above 50 receiving yards. Nelson Agholor filled the role of field-stretcher for the Las Vegas offense this year and as long as he continues producing, there's no reason to expect Ruggs to do much in the Raiders' 2020 closer versus the Broncos next week.

Dec 27, 2020, 12:35 AM ET
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zamboni said:
Seems unlikely that at this point he doesn’t know the offense. I agree there might be a trust issue, which may also explain the virtual non-existence of Edwards.
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Not at all.  Tons of players can't grasp schemes, routes, reads, responsibilities.

 
Raiders GM Mike Mayock said rookie Henry Ruggs "has got to get better."

"We knew how fast he is, but he's got to get stronger and he's got to get in and out of his breaks better," Mayock said. Ruggs fell short of expectations in his first season, posting a 26/452/2 line and 60.5% catch rate over 13 weeks. Six of those games were under 20 receiving yards. Ruggs maxed out as a deep threat as a rookie, but the Raiders are hoping he can make a second-year leap.

SOURCE: Oakland Tribune

Jan 29, 2021, 12:35 PM ET
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Ruggs was the best thing that could have ever happened to Waller.  Opens up a lot of the underneath stuff just by stretching the field.  Here's hoping Gruden and Carr get together and figure out how to better use him in Year 2. 

 
I was perplexed at the pick from the start.....no idea how they could have drafted Ruggs over many of the other WRs like Lamb, Jeudy and Jefferson. ...Ruggs just reminded me of John Ross the last high pick 1st rd speedster...never could stay healthy...1 trick pony and struggled with bigger/more physical CBs....Ruggs' rookie year seemed awfully close to Ross....part of it is on the coaching staff as they never seemed to feature him or give him any plays to use his speed except run flys every play.....hope they figure it out, otherwise big waste of a high 1st rd pick.....especially when he was the 1st WR off the board.  

 
Kiddnets said:
I was perplexed at the pick from the start.....no idea how they could have drafted Ruggs over many of the other WRs like Lamb, Jeudy and Jefferson. ...Ruggs just reminded me of John Ross the last high pick 1st rd speedster...never could stay healthy...1 trick pony and struggled with bigger/more physical CBs....Ruggs' rookie year seemed awfully close to Ross....part of it is on the coaching staff as they never seemed to feature him or give him any plays to use his speed except run flys every play.....hope they figure it out, otherwise big waste of a high 1st rd pick.....especially when he was the 1st WR off the board.  
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From what we knew at the time of the draft, Lamb was the obvious choice over Ruggs.  Knowing what we know after one season, Ruggs should have been the fifth or sixth WR chosen.  Hindsight is 20-20 though. 

 
ffmail4me said:
I can't believe I drafted this guy over Higgins, Aiyuk, and Pittman in multiple leagues.  :bag:
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Even though I felt Ruggs wasn't a great dynasty pick last year because he is raw at the position and has issues with the nuances of the position, people shouldn't give up and sell for peanuts after just one year.  Especially after spending a 1st round dynasty pick on him.  

 
JohnnyU said:
Even though I felt Ruggs wasn't a great dynasty pick last year because he is raw at the position and has issues with the nuances of the position, people shouldn't give up and sell for peanuts after just one year.  Especially after spending a 1st round dynasty pick on him.  
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definite buy low for me - no real training camp...lots of injuries...COVID....and they were awful in how they used him.  Gotta figure there is big improvement this year.  

 
Kiddnets said:
definite buy low for me - no real training camp...lots of injuries...COVID....and they were awful in how they used him.  Gotta figure there is big improvement this year.  
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I don’t see it.   While there should be an uptick in production this year, I don’t think he could be started every week.   The Raiders want to run the ball and use Ruggs to create space for Waller.  

 
Kiddnets said:
definite buy low for me - no real training camp...lots of injuries...COVID....and they were awful in how they used him.  Gotta figure there is big improvement this year.  
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We've been hoping they'd use Jacobs correctly for some time now. I wouldn't be so confident they'll figure out how to use Ruggs.

 
DocHolliday said:
I don’t see it.   While there should be an uptick in production this year, I don’t think he could be started every week.   The Raiders want to run the ball and use Ruggs to create space for Waller.  
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I cant imagine that the only plan for Ruggs....pretty high pick to blow on a decoy.....I think they find a way to incorporate him more. 

 
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