Three weeks ago, during the 2020 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders made headlines with how general manager Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden decided to use their pick.
Going into the draft, the silver and black were in desperate need of a number one wide receiver and the top rated one by nearly every scouting analyst was Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
But that isn’t the way the Raiders were thinking of going.
Instead of taking Jeudy or even Oklahoma receiver Ceedee Lamb, the Raiders chose Jeudy’s Alabama teammate Henry Ruggs which inevitably began the debate.
Is Ruggs or Jeudy truly the top receiver from Tuscaloosa?
So who better to try and answer this question than Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban who was asked about it on Wednesday by NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano on NFL Now.
“I think it’s a matter of personal preference, choice, whatever you want to call it,” said Saban. “I think receivers are a little bit like a basketball team, you got a point guard, you got a two guard, you got a swing forward, you got a power forward, they’re all different but they’re all very critical to being a successful team.
“So, if you preference was to have a speed receiver than Henry Ruggs is probably as good as it gets. If you wanted somebody whose a little more of a finesse type player, great slot receiver, good option route runner then you would probably favor Jerry Jeudy.”
If one thing is for certain it’s that both players will be able to contribute immediately in each of their respective offenses.
With Ruggs working with Derek Carr in Las Vegas and Jeudy catching passes from Drew Lock and the Denver Broncos, the NFL will have have its hands full with two more dynamic receivers from Alabama.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
