Henry Ruggs III claims fastest man in NFL

Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is the fastest man in the NFL, claims Ruggs himself while speaking with Inside Training Camp Live on NFL Network. Following a practice at Las Vegas Raiders training camp, Ruggs sat down with the NFL Network crew to talk about entering his second year as a pro and how fast he really is.

Is Henry Ruggs III the fastest player?

In good spirits following a great early Raiders training camp, Ruggs spoke candidly about how his speed is elite despite adding more muscle and weight to his body. When asked if the NFL lined up the fastest players it had to offer in a race, where Ruggs would place, the second year receiver from Alabama didn’t hold back his confidence.

“I mean, you can sit here and compare numbers all day. I mean, you can compare numbers, speed, times. But until we all line up side by side, of course, I’m going to say I’m the fastest,” Ruggs claimed in the interview.

The speed of Ruggs is not in question by anybody who’s seen him play. Entering the draft, Ruggs ran an incredible 40-yard dash at 4.27. This time listed him slightly ahead of NFL speedster Tyreek Hill, who ran a 4.29 in his pro day workout in 2016. In his rookie season with the Raiders, Ruggs was targeted 43 times and turned those targets into 452 yards and two touchdowns.

Over his three years with Alabama, Ruggs earned 1,716 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. His final year in 2019, he was ranked 10th in the SEC by receiving yards but a fantastic third-best in yards per reception. His speed allowed him to 18.7 yards each time the ball went his way. Ruggs was drafted in the first round by the Raiders with the 12th pick in the 2020 draft.

Settling into the offense

In his interview, Ruggs was asked about how he’s progressing in his own development. A big point of praise has come from his teammates in regards to how well he’s beginning to understand the game, and Ruggs feels the same way.

“I’m feeling a lot more comfortable,” Ruggs stated. “I was confused… just thinking too much. But now the game feels slower, like I’m moving at my speed, like I’m moving faster now.”

Part of the new confidence comes from his ability to read the game better and pass his own information back to his team. Ruggs spoke about how last season he would return to the huddle and ask quarterback Derek Carr if he did things correctly. This season he returns to the huddle and tells Carr what he sees himself.

He even has settled into his role and confidence as a premier wide receiver in the NFL, joking with the NFL Network crew about how receivers always want the football.

“As a receiver, you know… if it goes in somebody else’s hands and it’s completed, then we’re good,” Ruggs said while laughing. “But if it’s incomplete then you feel like, hey, it should have been me.”

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images