Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III declares for the 2020 NFL Draft

Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tua Tagovailoa isn’t the only big news coming from Alabama today, as wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has also entered the 2020 NFL Draft. Ruggs announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram. He joins a great receiver class that features his teammate Jerry Jeudy.

Ruggs didn’t have a monster season in his time at Alabama, but with so much talent on the roster (Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle) he did pretty well. As a sophomore, Ruggs caught 46 passes for 741 yards and a whopping 11 touchdowns. In his junior season, he caught 40 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns. He also added on a 75-yard rushing score on the year.

Switching over to his status as a prospect, Ruggs brings a lot to the table. For one, his speed is off the charts. He can blow past defenders deep and can erase angles after the catch with his home run ability. Ruggs also has strong hands and the ability to win in contested spots. He can also change direction quickly, giving him a high ceiling as a route runner.

The draft process will likely be kind to Ruggs. While he obviously won’t have a chance to play at the Senior Bowl, the buzz is already going about what he will do at the combine. At last year’s Alabama pro day, Ruggs reportedly ran a 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds. If he can do that again this spring, it seems unlikely that Ruggs will escape the top 15 picks.

The draft community ranks Ruggs very highly, with some as high as the second-best receiver in the class. With that speed, there’s a chance that Ruggs could come off the board before Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb.

Everyone is looking for the next game changer at the wide receiver position, and Ruggs could be just that in the 2020 NFL Draft.