Need for speed: Raiders owner says Henry Ruggs was the only player he wanted in 2020 NFL Draft
Considering the franchise’s history, no one was surprised when the Las Vegas Raiders selected Henry Ruggs III with the No. 12 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
While it was only natural to assume the Raiders fell in love with Ruggs’ speed, turns out that’s exactly what happened with the most powerful man in the organization.
Long after his father, Al Davis, annually reached for players in the draft based purely on those players’ ability to run fast, the Raiders’ current owner says the only player he wanted in the 2020 NFL Draft was the speed receiver out of Alabama.
“He was the only person I wanted in this draft,” Mark Davis said of Ruggs, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.
Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the Davis family.
The good news for the Raiders, while Al Davis may have reached for prospects during his time calling the shots for the Raiders, Mark Davis got a player that is not only blazing fast but productive on the field.
During his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, Ruggs caught 98 passes for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.
Only player he wanted? Of course this is just an exaggeration, but you need more than just Henry Ruggs to get a good team going.
Maybe you shouldn’t be so literal. He probably was saying that he was the player he wanted the most.
Here’s wishing Henry Ruggs a long & successful career. Roll Tide !