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Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs III? Nick Saban says deciding is ‘a matter of personal preference’
By Adam Spencer
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In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Alabama Crimson Tide had 2 wide receivers picked in Round 1 — Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy.
Ruggs was the first receiver off the board, going No. 12 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Jeudy went No. 15 overall to the Denver Broncos.
On Wednesday, Alabama coach Nick Saban was asked which receiver he’d rather have on his team. He said it depends on what your team is looking for, as both players have their strengths:
“I think it’s a matter of personal preference, choice, whatever you want to call it,” Saban told NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano Wednesday on NFL Now. “I think receivers are a little bit like a basketball team, you got a point guard, you got a two-guard, you got a swing forward, you got a power forward, they’re all different but they’re all very critical to being successful as a team.
“So, if your personal preference was to have a speed receiver then Henry Ruggs is probably as good as it gets. If you wanted somebody whose a little more of a finesse type player, great slot receiver, good option route runner than you probably would favor Jerry Jeudy.
“In their own style of play, both guys are exceptional so it really was just a matter of personal choice in terms of what somebody was really looking for. I think both guys are really, really good players and I think they’ll have great careers.”
Who will have the better rookie season? They’ll both enter AFC West offenses that retooled this offseason. It should be fun to watch them go head-to-head twice a year.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.