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Need for speed: Raiders owner says Henry Ruggs was the only player he wanted in 2020 NFL Draft

Michael Wayne Bratton

By Michael Wayne Bratton

Published:

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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.

Michael Wayne Bratton

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com

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