The NFL Draft is always full of surprises, but few were as shocking as the selection of Henry Ruggs III as the twelfth overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Since then, Ruggs has had a disappointing season marred by injuries and subpar performances.
So, we asked the experts - is Henry Ruggs' career over? Read on to find out what 10 NFL analysts think about Ruggs' future in the league.
Who is Henry Ruggs?
Henry Ruggs III is a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders.
He was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft as the 12th overall pick.
He played college football at the University of Alabama, where he had an impressive three-year career with the Crimson Tide.
During his time at Alabama, Ruggs was a two-time All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist, as well as being named to the All-SEC first team in 2019.
During his college career, he had 98 receptions for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns.
He also set the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season with 14 in 2019.
So what does this mean for his future in the NFL?
Why his career might be over
Henry Ruggs, the former Alabama wide receiver, was once considered to be one of the top prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft.
However, his season ended early due to a knee injury suffered in October.
This injury not only put a halt to his collegiate career, but has now left many people wondering if his professional career may be over before it even started.
At the time of the injury, Ruggs had already established himself as a dangerous weapon for Alabama's offense.
He had accumulated 19 receptions for 391 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games, numbers that were good enough to lead the Crimson Tide in receiving yards per game (56).
His explosiveness as a deep threat gave him an opportunity to make big plays on a regular basis, with six of his receptions going for 30 or more yards.
Unfortunately, the injury he suffered derailed his season and leaves many wondering if his pro career could be finished.
Ruggs has yet to be cleared by doctors to resume football activities and the uncertainty surrounding his health could cause teams to shy away from selecting him in the upcoming draft.
While Ruggs has proven to be a dynamic receiver at the collegiate level, teams may now question whether he will be able to stay healthy at the next level and perform at a high level.
What the experts say
Henry Ruggs' career may be in jeopardy after suffering a knee injury during his senior year of college.
He was a highly-touted prospect prior to the injury and many analysts believed he had the potential to be a first round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The injury has caused some doubts and uncertainty surrounding his draft stock.
However, several experts have offered their opinion on the matter.
Most recently, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said "I think Henry Ruggs is still going to be a very good NFL player.
He's got speed, explosiveness, great ball skills and he's an excellent route runner.
He has all the attributes you want from a receiver."
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah also weighed in on the situation, saying "I think that teams are still high on Ruggs' talent, but the injury has caused some questions about how effective he will be at the NFL level.
I'm confident that he'll bounce back from this and continue to be successful."
Overall, the experts seem to agree that while the injury has caused some concern, Henry Ruggs is still a very talented prospect and should continue to be successful in the NFL.
Teams will likely take into consideration his injury when evaluating him for the draft, but it shouldn't have too much of an impact on his stock overall.
His injury and its effects
Henry Ruggs III, the Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick in 2020, suffered a knee injury on November 8th that ended his season.
The severity of the injury was unknown, but it was assumed to be significant as he was placed on the injured reserve list.
His absence was immediately felt on the field as the Raiders offense struggled in the second half of the season.
The injury had a profound effect on Ruggs' performance in the 2020 season, as he had just 24 receptions for 455 yards and two touchdowns in seven games.
His numbers had been significantly higher prior to the injury; in his six full games played, he had recorded 20 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Ruggs also suffered from an ankle sprain earlier in the season which hindered his production in Weeks 4 and 5.
He returned for Week 6 against Kansas City, but was forced out of the game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter.
Ruggs' absence has certainly been felt by the Raiders, who are now without their most promising receiver heading into 2021.
It's unclear how long he will be out for and what type of impact the injury will have on his career going forward.
Only time will tell if Ruggs can make a successful return to the field next season.
His production before the injury
Henry Ruggs had a successful collegiate career at the University of Alabama, where he quickly established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the country.
In his freshman year, he finished with 646 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
As a sophomore, he improved on those numbers by finishing with 882 yards and 11 touchdowns.
His junior season saw even more success, as he ended up with 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Ruggs was also a threat as a kick returner, amassing 279 yards on just nine attempts over the course of his collegiate career.
He was a very productive player for the Crimson Tide and was one of the key contributors to their success in recent years.
He declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and was projected to be one of the top wide receivers taken.
He was an explosive player and had shown no signs of slowing down heading into his final season with Alabama.
His production after the injury
Henry Ruggs' career took a major hit in 2020 when he suffered a knee injury during the first half of the season.
After missing several weeks of action, he returned in Week 15 and showed glimpses of his former self with an impressive 42-yard touchdown reception.
However, the injuries kept piling up and Ruggs was held to just 10 receptions for 100 yards over the remaining four games.
This put a serious dent in his total numbers as he ended the season with 26 receptions for 398 yards and four touchdowns.
While it's hard to say definitively whether or not Ruggs' knee injury affected his performance after returning, it is clear that his production has taken a hit since the injury.
He had recorded 36 receptions for 611 yards and seven touchdowns prior to the injury and those numbers have yet to be matched this season.
It remains to be seen if Ruggs will be able to bounce back from this injury and return to his pre-injury form.
It's also possible that the injury may have a lasting impact on his future career prospects.
Only time will tell how this situation plays out for Ruggs, but one thing is for sure: Henry Ruggs will be looking to make a major comeback next season.
His future in the NFL
Henry Ruggs’ NFL future is uncertain.
After suffering a season-ending knee injury, many question whether or not he’ll be able to make the same impact that he did prior to the injury.
While his draft stock may have been impacted, it’s still too early to tell.
The key to Ruggs’ success in the NFL will be how well he can recover from the injury.
With proper rehabilitation and support, there’s a chance that he could make a full recovery and resume his career as one of the top wide receivers in the league.
On the other hand, the injury could be too severe for him to come back from.
This could mean that his career in the NFL is over before it ever really began.
Regardless of what happens, Henry Ruggs will always remain one of the most talented players to come out of Alabama in recent memory.
His explosive speed and big play ability was a key factor in helping the Crimson Tide win multiple championships.
If he’s able to make a full recovery, he could still be a major contributor to any NFL team lucky enough to land him.
Only time will tell what will happen with Ruggs and his future in the NFL.
His potential return to Alabama
Henry Ruggs’ career is currently in question, but it isn’t over yet.
Although there have been rumors of his retirement, Ruggs still has the option to return to Alabama.
Before the NFL Draft, Ruggs had one of the highest stocks of any wide receiver.
He was seen as an instant starter for whatever team drafted him.
After his injury, however, some experts believe that returning to Alabama would be a smart decision for Ruggs.
They point out that returning to college could help him get back into game shape and regain his previous level of production.
This could also give him another opportunity to prove himself in front of scouts before entering the NFL.
That being said, if Ruggs does decide to come back to Alabama, he will face stiff competition.
The Crimson Tide have several talented receivers and Alabama is still one of the top teams in college football.
It won't be easy for Ruggs to make his way back into the starting lineup.
Only time will tell what Henry Ruggs decides to do with his career.
If he does choose to return to Alabama, he will have the opportunity to get back on track and prove himself to NFL scouts once again.
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