Henry Ruggs III fits into this story: The 2019 season was riddled with injuries for the Philadelphia Eagles, especially at the wide receiver position, as Carson Wentz was throwing the ball to practice players by the end of the season.
Due to all those injuries and a lack of a true No. 1 receiver for most of the season, the Eagles only averaged a mediocre 253.9 yards per game, which is a whole half yard less than their division rival New York Giants.
In order to provide depth to their receiving core and give the offense a big-play threat that they are in need, drafting a wide receiver in the first round seems like a no-brainer for the Eagles.
Alabama product Henry Ruggs III makes a lot of sense for the Eagles at the No. 21 slot, as even with Jerry Jeudy as the No. 1 passing option, Ruggs III still put up 746 yards and seven touchdowns in just 40 receptions last season.
Ruggs III is regarded as the speed demon of this draft, drawing comparisons to Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs with his ability to make big plays thanks to the fifth gear of speed he possesses.
Jeremy Klump of Eagles Wire loves Ruggs III, and went as far as to suggest that Philadelphia should consider trading up for the speedster.
Not to state the obvious, but the Eagles need speed and Ruggs would obviously give them that. DeSean Jackson will be back in 2020, but adding a dynamic playmaker like Ruggs to the equation will only equal good things for the Eagles. Doug Pederson should have no trouble watching the film on his former team and getting Ruggs involved like the Chiefs do for Hill. If the Eagles truly want him, they may need to move up for him. If they move up for him, they fully expect him to reach his ceiling and be their Hill.
In addition to his speed, Ruggs III runs great routes, is a solid blocker, and can execute double moves on defensive backs with relative ease.
While he may be a little undersized and thus prone to getting injured, that risk is worth the reward for the Eagles.
Philadelphia can use him as a Swiss Army Knife just like how Kansas City uses Hill. They can send him on crossing routes to use his speed on the edge, send him a deep routes to stretch out zone defenses and can even use him in the backfield, with Ruggs III scoring a rushing touchdown last season.
Ruggs III has the potential to be the best receiver that Wentz has ever thrown to, as he could be the safety blanket that Wentz can turn to on key third downs to help keep the chains moving for the Eagles.
This is an especially deep group at the wide receiver position, which is great for the Eagles since they are in dire need of another quality one. They better cross their fingers that Ruggs III falls into their laps at the No. 21 spot, and should even consider trading up for his speed alone.
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