https://nypost.com/2020/03/28/dynamic-henry-ruggs-iii-could-force-jets-hand-at-nfl-draft/ Great Read!
I was just about to start a thread on this. This is not the first time I read and heard on the radio that a few NFL teams and draft experts are salivating over this guys capabilities. Some think he might even go higher than Jeudy and has more after the catch breakaway capabilities than any of them. Plus is tough as nails. He might not go under the radar for long but if we trade down a few spots he would be sweet.
Name of the game is speed. Ruggs has all of it. He’s a solid route runner too, not as polished as Jeudy but he has speed for DAYS...
Jeudy, Ruggs, and Lamb are all making the OT/WR 1st round pick really tough. While I don't like the "best player available" approach that Mac took, I don't mind the "best player available if at a position of need," approach. That is, if one of these three is available when the Jets are up, and the best OT is not as much value, go WR. This is a deep draft for O-line as well as WR, so I think that O-line could be properly addressed in the 2nd round as well.
Steve Smith is a good comparison. The Alabama receivers were all victims of their situation. If Jeudy played at Georgia he'd be the second or third player taken no questions asked. There's a bit of an unknown with all of them because they were all asked to do more niche things because they didn't need to do everything; there was another guy for that. Ruggs is going to be great. Jeudy is likely to be Julio Jones-esque. Jaylen Waddle (sophomore) might be the best 'playmaker' in terms of YAC of all of them. His problem was that he was #4 on the depth chart. He will explode next year.
I’ve seen Ruggs as a possibility, of course since Tyreek Hill has been blowing it up since coming into the league people are salivating over the comparison. Ruggs is better than Hill coming out of college, more developed and with a better route tree. He is much more complete than any guy with that kind of speed that I can remember seeing anytime recently. Depending on how you rate them, it’s wild to think that either Lamb, Jeudy, or Ruggs are the third WR taken. In most drafts, any of them would be the first and in the top ten in all likelihood.
I feel like all 3 could be great but I also feel like Justin Jefferson is more underrated. Kids is good and has as much potential. He has been overlooked with the other 3. I will be happy with any of the 4. I rate all 4 over jederik wills.
Ruggs is the game breaker the offense could use. However, do you take him over Lamb or Jeudy at 11? And how long does he last after 11? There's a few teams that could go WR right in that area so a trade down to still get Ruggs may not even be in the cards.
No, there's no way I'd take Ruggs over Jeudy or Lamb. To begin with Ruggs isn't that much faster than Jeudy, and Lamb more than makes up for the difference in speed in versatility, YAC ability, and contested catches. Both Jeudy and Lamb are definite #1 types. IMO Ruggs is not a #1 type. He's too short. Even though he's fast, he also had limited production and was used in more of niche role at Alabama. He may be able to run all the routes and be very effective, but there are no guarantees. He also has a smaller catch radius. If both Jeudy and Lamb are off the board at #12, I think the Raiders will be all over him.
I agree I like Jeudy and Lamb more but I think Ruggs could be a #1 in the way that guys like Odell and Hill are 1's. Not your prototypical 1 but extremely effective. Yeah the Raiders should be all over one of those 3.
I'm starting to warm up to the idea of the Jets grabbing this guy - very much under the radar with the fact that his teammate Jeudy was getting all the attention. Heck if anything, at 11, it strengthens the Jets possibility of getting more offers for trading down. Not that I would like them too...
If the Jets trade down as low as 14 or 15, you can forget about getting one of the top 3 WRs. They'll be gone. Oakland will take one, and there's a very good chance that the Niners would as well.
Yeah I think SF is locked and loaded into one of the top 3 WRs. Dropping two slots will hopefully allow for us to take one of them. As long as we end up with one of the three, I'm a happy camper.
Dropping 2 slots would put us at the Niners slot, and if they're locked into taking one of the top 3 WRs, there's no way one of the top 3 WRs will still be there. Odds are that some team before #11 will take one of the three, and then Oakland and the Niners would take the other 2. Dropping and hoping to take one of the three is asking for a LOT of luck and could be considered greedy or trying to have one's cake and eat it too. If we want one of the WRs, we 'd better just stay put and take him at #11.
Everybody just stop with the Julio Jones comparisons in this draft. Jones is 6'3' 220 lbs and he ran a 4.39. There's *no* Julio Jones in this draft.
Not sure I have confidence in Gase gameplanning for a speed demon like Ruggs though, in ways that Reid does for Hill or even Kyle Shanny does with a Deebo Samuel I think if you can run great routes you will be a star in this offense, which is why I’m believing Jeudy would be the best fit if they choose one at 11. Jeudy is a prestine route runner and between his skills and Sam’s short to intermediate passing game being his strength, I think that’s the play here. Sam had a big time connection with Crowder whos a damn good slot WR who runs great routes...let Jeudy come to this offense, he can do things that I saw Demayrius Thomas do here even at his advance age and diminished speed. Thomas still did work as an outside guy and I feel Jeudy can be a star here. sidenote, give me Gandy Golden in the 3rd round and I’d be smitten with joy...AGG and Jeudy can be the weapons Sam needs to be a star in this league.
Dropping anywhere below 13 would be a stupid move. They have the ability to grab either one of the top tackles or one of the top receivers in the draft, or potentially either. It would be a miracle if either a top OT or WR was available after the 49ers pick. The only option would be the old Mac move of BPA for a lower need position, or stretching for a position of need. One mock has the Jets trading down with the Falcons for another 3rd round pick, grabbing K'Lavon Chaisson in the 1st, a DT in the 2nd, and not addressing either WR or O-line until late in the 3rd. That would be a typical Jets move to do something like that, but I hope that Douglas breaks that trend. A trade with the 49ers for the 13th and 31st pick wouldn't be bad though, assuming that at least one of the top tackles and all 3 top receivers are left. I like Jeudy the best, but Ruggs would be a good addition as well.