Alabama wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs made history during the 2020 NFL Draft becoming the first receivers from the same school in NFL history to be drafted in the top 15 of the same draft.
That distinction will create some pressure for both prospects to succeed in the NFL whether that's fair or not. Being highly touted college teammates at the same position, Ruggs and Jeudy will forever be linked and compared in some way.
But, with both receivers heading into the NFL with high expectations, the question will undoubtedly come up: Who will have the better career?
In somewhat of a surprise move, Ruggs was the first wide receiver selected in the 2020 draft class when he was taken with the 12th overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Prior to NFL combine in April, Ruggs was not exactly seen as a top prospect at the position. Ruggs was a part of a stacked WR group at Alabama and as a result, was just third on the team with 746 yards and seven touchdowns.
Additionally, Ruggs stood at just 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, which isn't exactly ideal size for a future No. 1 option in the NFL. But, after running a blazing-fast 4.27 forty-yard dash, which was the best of anyone at the combine, Ruggs began shooting up draft boards.
If anyone has proven to have a fascination for speedy wideouts in recent years, it's the Raiders. Players like Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey were both selected by the franchise after showing off elite speed at the combine.
And while I do think that Ruggs will fare better than both of those players, the comparison can certainly be made. Additionally, perhaps no team needed a No. 1 option at receiver more than Las Vegas.
The Raiders seemed to be set with Antonio Brown before that fell out, but after that, the team was led by tight end Darren Waller, who recorded 90 catches for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns in a breakout season.
Behind him, Tyrell Williams and rookie Hunter Renfrow both failed to put up more than 651 yards. And while both Williams and Renfrow showed a lot of promise and should continue to be valuable pieces for the newly relocated franchise, Ruggs comes in as a rookie with the chance to be the team's main option.
However, there are questions if Ruggs has the size to be a true top option. But then again, players like Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill have proven that speed is enough in some cases and that size isn't always that important.
As for Jeudy, the 6-foot-1, 193-pound wideout has been one of the best and most productive receivers in college football for the last two seasons. In his last two years for the Crimson Tide, the newest Denver Bronco recorded an impressive 145 catches for 2,478 and 24 touchdowns.
So, Jeudy has better size and far better production than Ruggs did in college, but as we all know, collegiate success does not always transfer to success in the pros.
At the same time, Jeudy is easily one of the most complete wideouts in this year's stacked WR class. And while he may not have the game-breaking speed that his former teammate does, he did run a 4.45 at the combine which is nothing to scoff at.
In terms of his fit with the Broncos, Jeudy will enter his rookie season in the NFL alongside third-year pro Courtland Sutton, who was the team's biggest breakout star in 2019. Sutton recorded 72 catches for 1,112 yards and seven touchdowns.
After him, rookie tight end Noah Fant had a solid season and should continue to improve but the team still definitely needed more weapons for young quarterback Drew Lock. That's where Jeudy will come in.
The 15th overall pick may not be the No. 1 option in Denver right away, but having other weapons around him will definitely help Jeudy in the long run as teams will not be able to solely focus on him.
All in all, I think Ruggs will give us some insane highlights and may have a bit more success early on due to sheer need on the Raiders' part.
But in the long run, I'm taking Jeudy as he is the more productive and complete receiver in my mind and found himself in a solid situation with the Broncos.
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