Buffalo Bills Draft Profile: WR Henry Ruggs III

With the 22nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select… Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver out of The University of Alabama.

With the 22nd overall pick in the draft this year, the Buffalo Bills have the chance to take Henry Ruggs III, arguably the fastest player in College Football and one of the most explosive wide receivers in the nation as well.

With the Crimson Tide this past season, Ruggs managed to snag seven touchdowns with a rushing touchdown to go with it, on 746 receiving yards and 40 receptions. The yards were the most of any of Ruggs’ three years at Alabama while playing in two fewer games, but the touchdowns were four less than the year prior in 2018.

Keep in mind, Ruggs put up all these numbers while being either the second or third wide receiver on the depth chart at Alabama. Jerry Jeudy who is likely going to be a top-15 pick was on the team and so was Devonta Smith who is returning to Alabama for his senior year.

That being said, the fact that Ruggs was still able to put these numbers up speaks to just how good he is. Not only that, but Alabama has been known, over the past two seasons, to run a LOT of slant routes and letting their receivers go to work.

This means of those 746 yards, a ton, if not most of them, came from yards after the catch. Ruggs is a playmaker and doesn’t need most of his yards to come from deep passes. Instead, he can make plays and help his team out in the process.

The question is, what are the Buffalo Bills biggest draft needs? A receiver has to be at the top of the list. In their playoff game against Houston, the Bills top receiver was actually a running back, Devin Singletary who went for only 76 yards.

If the top receiver is a running back and only tallies 76 yards, from an offensive perspective, changes are needed. The Buffalo Bills must invest in a wide receiver.

More from Empire Writes Back

• Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
• Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
• Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
• PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
• Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!

The Bills top pass-catcher from 2019 was John Brown who barely notched 1,000 yards as he went for 1,060 yards on 72 receptions and six touchdowns. After that, the next best receiver is Cole Beasley who totaled 778 yards and six touchdowns on 67 receptions. Both of these names are names that have been around the NFL for quite some time and are both guys who probably won’t be in Buffalo for much longer.

Somewhere along the line, Buffalo must take advantage of the rocket attached to Josh Allen’s right shoulder. The best use of the Bills 22nd overall pick would probably be a wide receiver. But will Henry Ruggs III be available?

If Ruggs is available I believe this pick should be a no-brainer. If Ruggs was draft-eligible last year he probably would’ve been the first wide receiver off the board. Additionally, had he not played alongside three of the best wide receivers in the nation in Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle, he would be regarded much higher than he is.

Taking a receiver with the 22nd overall pick makes sense for Buffalo. If Ruggs is still on the board, he would provide a huge boost to the Bills offense.