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The Las Vegas Raiders are closing in on their 2020 regular-season debut and there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the team. One of the biggest reasons for excitement is the dynamic rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs. The first-round pick has game-breaking speed and everybody is ready to see what he can do in this offense.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see him in the preseason this year but the Raiders released an awesome hype video for Ruggs ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
After a season of mediocre wide receiver play, the Raiders are desperate for a dynamic playmaker, and Ruggs should be the guy to make it happen. He has blazing speed, great hands and a lot of competitiveness. With Ruggs slated to be the team’s number one wide receiver, don’t be surprised if he makes some big plays in Week 1.
Ruggs Discusses Approach to Game
Despite the fact that he’s a rookie, Ruggs played in some really big games at Alabama and won a National Championship in 2017. Naturally, there will be some pressure heading into his first season but he’s ready for the to lineup on Sundays.
“You never let any moment get too big,” Ruggs said Thursday. “This is still football regardless, so whether you make a play or make a mistake, you still have to move on and play the next play.”
The Raiders have made it a point to draft high character players over the last couple of years and Ruggs fits the mold. Playing at Alabama helped turn him into a top competitor and got him ready for the NFL. Rookies often struggle but the Raiders clearly believe in Ruggs.
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Ruggs & Bryan Edwards Ready Form Strong Duo
Not only will the Raiders apparently be starting Ruggs, but based on their depth chart, the plan is to start two rookies at wide receiver. Starting across from Ruggs should be third-round pick Bryan Edwards. The two guys couldn’t be more different in terms of style. Edwards had a chance to talk about that fact.
“I feel that we can accomplish a lot,” Edwards said. “We work off each other very well. He’s a speed guy; I’m more of an in-between guy, a big-body guy. I feel like we can feed off each other and be two valuable assets to the team.”
Ruggs was able to chime in on the fact that he’ll be playing with Edwards.
“We’re both incredibly confident,” Ruggs said. “We talked, and we know that’s a big role as starters as first-year players, but at the end of the day, it’s football. We came here to play football, and we both played in the SEC. (We’re) just coming in to compete and play the game.
“We know how to play and it will speak for itself.”
Edwards may end up being one of the steals of the draft. If the draft hadn’t been so loaded with wide receiver talent and he had not gotten injured, he could’ve been a first-round pick. He’s healthier now than he was expected to be so the Raiders could end up having two first-round level guys at wide receiver right now. Even though the team is much younger at the position, Derek Carr should be really happy with the guys he gets to throw to in 2020.
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