Henry Ruggs will instantly become one of the fastest players in the NFL.

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Henry Ruggs III with the 12th overall pick Thursday night.

Before the draft, Ruggs said he had been in the most contact with the Raiders, Broncos and 49ers.

Ruggs never led Bama in catches or yards, but he made plays throughout his 3-year career.

His freshman season was notable because he only caught 12 passes — but 6 went for TDs. That total led the Tide and was 1 more than Calvin Ridley. Ruggs followed with 11 TD receptions as a sophomore and added 7 more this past season.

Speed separates Ruggs from the rest of this draft class, and just about everybody in the NFL, too.

Ruggs entered the NFL Combine hoping to break John Ross’ 40-yard dash record of 4.22 seconds. He fell a bit short, registering a blistering 4.27.

That came as no surprise to anybody who watched him consistently run by and past SEC corners for the past 3 seasons.

He’s not a jump-ball threat, but in a wide-open offense, he’s a threat to turn any slant or screen into a big play.