Sure Hands
April 15th, 2020
Could Alabama WR Henry Ruggs point the Bucs to the playoffs?
Looking at the Bucs’ draft, of course you would think they may draft an offensive tackle at No. 14. That’s about the draft ceiling for a right tackle.
If one of the Big Four are not available, then all bets are off. It seems way too high to draft a running back at No. 14. So if the Bucs don’t get a right tackle, don’t get a running back, and don’t trade down, it is delicious to think what the Bucs might do.
Some out there have suggested if the Bucs are going for broke the next two years, why not make your passing game unstoppable by drafting speedy receiver Henry Ruggs out of Alabama?
Doing a bit of research on Ruggs, he seems almost too good to be true. He ran a 4.27 40-yard dash and has one drop last season. One drop!
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Ruggs as his No. 3 receiver off the board.
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Alabama, Ruggs was the “Z” receiver in offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s offense, lining up inside and outside and shining on special teams (returner and coverages). Despite not reaching 100 catches in his career, he ranks No. 3 in Alabama history in touchdown catches (behind Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper), averaging one touchdown every 4.1 catches. Ruggs has the ability to accelerate and decelerate on command and cornerbacks must respect his speed, averaging 29.8 yards per touchdown over his career. He must continue to fine-tune his releases and routes, but he has the explosive stem cuts and sudden feet to shake free from coverage. Overall, Ruggs displays the twitchy speed and quick, confident hands to be a dangerous offensive weapon, also offering the high-level competitiveness and special teams skills that will lead to early playing time.
Here is what scouts told Bob McGinn of The Athletic about Ruggs (it’s not too kind):
He led everyone at the combine with a 4.24 in the 40, not to mention a vertical jump of 42 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches. “He’s super fast,” said one scout. “Speed, speed, speed. He’s really good.” Ruggs had 98 receptions, a 17.5-yard average and 24 touchdown catches in a three-year career. “Go look at the top 20 receivers that have run fast and none of them are any good,” another scout said. “People say, ‘Ruggs ran 4.2. He’s going to be a Hall of Famer.’ He was essentially, in Alabama’s offense, the third guy. He was really a specialist where they designed certain plays for him, mainly that over route where he goes from one side of the field to the other … and outruns everybody. He is fast, but when people get on him, you don’t see the same speed and route-running. He’s not a make-you-miss player. If you use him for what his strengths are, he’ll be good in your offense. If you expect him to come in and be your No. 1 receiver, I don’t see that. He’s a space-vertical linear route runner that needs space to catch the ball.”
Emory Hunt, the Czar of the Playbook, had the following writeup of Ruggs in his 2020 Football Gameplan Draft Guide (only $10).
Strengths:
– Explosive speed. If he gets a free release, it’s over.
– Shows proficiency in stacking the defensive back if he has beaten him and is able to run away from off coverage.
– Good hands catcher, and subsequently good with the ball in his hands
– A legitimate threat to score on on every play.
– He’s got really good footwork and plays a strong game.Areas of Improvement:
– Getting off from bump press, and press coverage in general could use work and refining.
– Vs zone coverage, looks as if he’s thinking on the fly and doesn’t play as fast.
Joe would be much more inclined to trade down than to pick Ruggs, and maybe get Jalen Reagor or K.J. Hamler later in the draft if the Bucs really want a receiver.
Still, what the Bucs may do if each Big Four tackle is gone will be high drama.
April 15th, 2020 at 9:03 am
Agree – drama if the big 4 are gone.
April 15th, 2020 at 9:16 am
This would be worse than picking a kicker in round 2. Get a WR late since it’s so deep. Hell I would rather see us pick a corner or safety
April 15th, 2020 at 9:20 am
You couldnt cover him Godwin and Evans.
April 15th, 2020 at 9:37 am
@Sarasota Garey I hear ya, no doubt that would be awesome. Not the pick for me though. D line with the first pick then. Build the trenches man! 2nd pick .. Safety .. 3rd pick OT… IMHO
@Go Bucs!!!
April 15th, 2020 at 9:44 am
It’d be super exciting. Perriman had a huge role in the offense last years with injuries (which is normal) and I’m not sure Scotty Miller can fill that role completely.
April 15th, 2020 at 9:52 am
didnt scotty run 4.3?…watson at his size ran 4.4…..
great talent but we have other needs….
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 15th, 2020 at 10:00 am
Totally agree with JonJohn!
What is the strongest position on this team? Godwin is playing at a 1st round level..give Licht credit…CG was a STEAL in the 3rd.
We have the equivalent of two 1st round WR’s…a 1st round TE and a very successful TE. This talk of a WR before the 5th round makes my head hurt.
How many footballs is Brady going to have to work with?
JJ made an excellent point last week. At the most “diva” position in football we’re going to pick a super talented WR in the first round and tell him good luck getting your touches? How will that fly with a new young guy who views himself as superstud?
Or are you going to tell ME13…well you were gracious with CG and now you’re going to get even fewer touches because we just spent a BOATLOAD of draft capital on ANOTHER WR in the first round?
And then there’s Joe’s earlier thread were WR’s had the biggest bust rate of any position in the first round…OL the least bust rate. Grab the tackle and move on.
This is just INSANE!!!
April 15th, 2020 at 10:27 am
Top 5 WRs in 2019:
• Michael Thomas 6′ 3″ 1,725 yards
• Julio Jones 6′ 3″ 1,394 yards
• Chris Godwin 6′ 1″ 1,333 yards
• DeVante Parker 6′ 3″ 1,202 yards
• Keenan Allen 6′ 2″ 1,199 yards
Henry Ruggs III 5′ 11″
Trap.
April 15th, 2020 at 10:38 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Tyreek Hill 5’10”
April 15th, 2020 at 10:49 am
Sarasota Garey Says
“Buccaneer Bonzai Tyreek Hill 5’10”
Hill was 30th on the list. Not even close.
http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-p=1&statisticPositionCategory=WIDE_RECEIVER&d-447263-s=RECEIVING_YARDS&tabSeq=1&season=2019&experience=&Submit=Go&archive=false&conference=null&qualified=true
April 15th, 2020 at 10:50 am
Sarasota Garey Says
“Buccaneer Bonzai Tyreek Hill 5’10”
Hill was 30th on the list. Not even close.
April 15th, 2020 at 10:52 am
In fact, of the Top 10 WRs, only one (Jarvis Landry) is under 6 feet tall. Shorter WRs are a huge gamble.
April 15th, 2020 at 10:55 am
Buccaneer Bonzai no corner was close to him, especially during the superbowl, he had the biggest play of the game, speed kills.
April 15th, 2020 at 10:56 am
@Sarasota Garey
He may have done well in the playoffs, but he only had 860 yards in the regular season.
The point is that taller WRs have more success.
April 15th, 2020 at 11:08 am
I wouldnt mind trading down and getting an extra 2nd or 3rd rd pick
April 15th, 2020 at 11:09 am
Bonzai, he had. 860 yards in only 12 games. The year before he had 1500 yards. The year before that he had almost 1,200 yards starting only 13 games. And great touchdown production. It’s not just black and white.
April 15th, 2020 at 11:11 am
Good points stpete.
Would we even want to share the ball with one more receiver? With two All pros already at WR and good receiving threats at TE, any third WR should be an afterthought, gimmick, distraction, or back-up plan. Definitely not worth the 14th overall pick, who you should expect to be an every down contributer.
April 15th, 2020 at 11:12 am
Considering that 29% of first round WR’s are re-signed, lowest % of all positions, and a limited amount of balls to go around with WR’s Justin Watson and Scotty Miller looking to step-up doesn’t makes a lot of sense grabbing Ruggs. If the scenario Joe mentioned happens we would get better return and more value on a DT/DE like Kinlaw or Chaisson.
April 15th, 2020 at 11:14 am
So we should draft a backup in the 1st round? He’s not starting over Evans or Godwin, Scotty Miller has proven to be pretty damn good (and really fast, 4.39-40 at his pro day), and Justin Watson is no slouch either running a 4.4-40 at 6’3 225lbs. It would be a wasted 1st round pick. 1st round picks are expected to start, and he wouldn’t.
April 15th, 2020 at 11:31 am
I think grabbing a receiver at 14 if “the big 4” are gone. Throw ruggs speed into that offense with screen passes with the 2 good blocking receivers we have. Then in second round grab the back outta LSU. And just hope for decent OLINE play and a smarter QB and that offense is fire. Shoot even in the 3rd round call the Redskins and offer our 3rd this and next for trent William’s. Throw him on left nd smith on right side
April 15th, 2020 at 11:35 am
Please don’t waste the first round draft on a WR, WR is our least problem, they won’t enough ball to go round. Just draft an OT or DL
April 15th, 2020 at 11:42 am
Whose to say the Bucs don’t have Jones or even Jackson rated just as high as one of the so called top 4. We shall see soon enough. Also they may consider a OT in the 2nd also. Just depends how the draft falls.
April 15th, 2020 at 11:50 am
If the top 4 tackles and 2 dlinemen are gone, and your going to draft a wide receiver eventually, you might aswell take the best one, that can easily take the ball 90 yards down the field and change the game, his highlights on YouTube are insane
April 15th, 2020 at 11:56 am
Scotty Miller is going to blow up this year. He’s the Edelman type receiver that Brady loves.
April 15th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
All OT are gone at 14? Draft Kinlaw He’s gone too? Trade down and draft two RB.
April 15th, 2020 at 12:33 pm
If all the OT’s and QB’s are gone, I suspect Kinlaw may be available at #14, and I’d take him.
I also agree Miller will show great promise in his soph. NFL season, in the mold of the quick-get-open slot Brady likes.
April 15th, 2020 at 12:35 pm
This pick has to be either an OT or a DT. We need to win in the trenches!
April 15th, 2020 at 12:58 pm
He is OBJ type agile speedster without the acrobatic catching ability obj has
April 15th, 2020 at 3:41 pm
He’d be lining up against every teams third corner. With Evans, and Ruggs outside, Godwin in the slot have fun covering that. Then if you add CEH in the 2nd round coming out of the backfield, oh my God. Tom Brady pulling the trigger, what fun it would be. Mix in our TE’s, and Rojo, unstoppable.
April 15th, 2020 at 4:16 pm
I mean he has the speed to start as a returner n with sure hands 3rd or 4th receiver but 14 is probably a bit high. If we could trade down get some extra picks n still get him 🤷🏻♂️
April 15th, 2020 at 4:19 pm
No to WR Rd1
Sometimes UDFA turn out great and #1 picks not so much…
14 is too high for WR this year. Gems can be found for much less.
April 15th, 2020 at 7:16 pm
if the bucs draft a speedster wide receiver, can we FINALLY get someone who can return punts and kickoffs and not get stopped before the 25 yard line every single team. anemic special teams play with this team is deplorable.
April 15th, 2020 at 7:34 pm
If Wills and Thomas are both gone as well as Kinlaw, Brown, and Simmons. Then we could do way worse than Ruggs. Add CEH in the 2nd. How do you defend against that…
I’m praying Wills #1 or Thomas #2 are there at 14. Then none of this will matter. Trading down would be our best option then. I really like the Philly idea as a partner. We could draft Jones the OT from Houston or a stud who hardly anyone is talking about, Isaiah Wilson from Georgia. He is going to be a really good tackle in the NFL. He is my #3 pick as far as RT goes.
April 15th, 2020 at 7:40 pm
I think Wirfs and Becton will be gone because they are more LT prospects. Wills is the best of the bunch so highly unlikely he’s still around at 14. Thomas has a good chance of still being there. He would be my pick if so. But, Isaiah Wilson will be a great fall back option if we can manage a way to trade down.
Denver at 15 look likely to take a WR if one or more of the big 3 are left. Teams like Philly or Minnesota would get us another 2nd round pick, and a lil extra, to jump ahead of Denver. We need day 1 starters so the more premium picks we have the better our odds are