Ruggs caught three receptions on four targets for 97 yards and one touchdown against Denver on Sunday.
Analysis: The four targets are a meager total, but Ruggs' 48-yard touchdown in the first quarter put the Broncos at a disadvantage they never recovered from, and it's possible that the Raiders would have gone to Ruggs more if the game had been closer. Derek Carr attempted a season-low 27 passes, and that likely had a limiting effect on Ruggs' target count. While he'll probably never be a high-volume receiver -- his season-high in targets is just seven through six games -- but Ruggs has been highly efficient in each 2021 game to this point. He's averaging a 40-yard reception every other game, and if his target volume does somehow rise in upcoming weeks he could tap into another level yet. In the meantime, though, the crowded pass catcher rotation of Darren Waller, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow pose formidable target competition to Ruggs. He faces the Eagles at home in Week 7.
Oct 17, 2021 5:34 PM EST
Ruggs brought in all three targets for 51 yards in the Raiders' 20-9 loss to the Bears on Sunday.
Analysis: On a lackluster day for the Raiders' passing attack, Ruggs posted his second consecutive three-catch tally. The speedster's receiving yardage total was second on the afternoon to that of Hunter Renfrow's, although it also marked the third straight time Ruggs' production in that category declined over that of the prior game. The second-year pro will look to reverse that unfavorable trend in a Week 6 road battle against the Broncos.
Oct 10, 2021 7:29 PM EST
Ruggs caught three of six targets for 51 yards in Monday night's 28-14 loss to the Chargers.
Analysis: Ruggs entered Monday coming off consecutive games with at least 75 yards and although he couldn't continue that streak, the speedster was once again featured vertically within Las Vegas' offense. Along with drawing a deep pass-interference call earlier, Ruggs hauled in a 51-yard bomb during the fourth quarter and was targeted on another downfield shot later. Overall, he led the Raiders in receiving yards and showed further glimpses of his explosive upside to complement Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow on more intermediate routes.
Oct 4, 2021 9:45 PM EST
Ruggs caught four of seven targets for 78 yards and took his lone carry for seven yards in Sunday's 31-28 overtime win over the Dolphins.
Analysis: Ruggs showcased impressive body control on several sideline catches, and also made a leaping grab over Dolphins All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard during the Raiders' first touchdown drive of the contest late in the second quarter. The Alabama product has seen seven targets in back-to-back games and his 237 total receiving yards rank 15th in the NFL through Week 3. Ruggs will now face a Chargers secondary that just held Chiefs speedster Tyreek Hill to 56 yards on five catches.
Sep 28, 2021 6:39 AM EST
Ruggs recorded five receptions on seven targets for 113 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Week 2 win over the Steelers.
Analysis: Ruggs had only 15 total yards at halftime, but he made the Steelers pay throughout the second half to help the Raiders to a win. On the team's second possession of the the third quarter, he got open down the middle of the field for a 30-yard gain, which setup a nine-yard touchdown on the next play for Foster Moreau. Ruggs finished the job himself one quarter later, when he once again cut through the middle of the field for a long 61-yard touchdown. The effort marked the second time that Ruggs topped 100 yards receiving in 15 games in the NFL.
Sep 19, 2021 3:18 PM EST
Ruggs hauled in two of five targets for 46 yards Monday in the Raiders' 33-27 overtime win over the Ravens.
Analysis: Though Ruggs turned in one of the leaner stat lines among the Las Vegas pass catchers, his Week 1 usage was solid. Per Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee, Ruggs played 56 of the Raiders' 86 offensive snaps, ranking third among skill-position players behind only tight end Darren Waller (81) and Bryan Edwards (57). Ruggs did the bulk of his damage on a 37-yard strike from Derek Carr late in the fourth quarter, which helped set up Waller's game-tying 10-yard touchdown reception.
Sep 14, 2021 9:35 AM EST
Ruggs is listed as a starting wideout opposite fellow second-year player Bryan Edwards on the Raiders' posted depth chart.
Analysis: Also in the mix are top slot man Hunter Renfrow, as well as Zay Jones and Willie Snead. With the Raiders having parted ways with veteran speedster John Brown last month, Ruggs would appear to every opportunity to emerge as the team's No. 1 wide receiver in tandem with Edwards. A 2021 fantasy break-out thus appears plausible for the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, after he logged a modest 26/452/2 stat line through 13 games as a rookie.
Sep 10, 2021 4:07 PM EST
Ruggs will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Rams, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The Raiders have taken a cautious approach in preseason action thus far, sitting the vast majority of their starters on the offensive side of the ball. In addition to Ruggs, John Brown, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow from the receiver corps are also sidelined.
Aug 21, 2021 7:37 PM EST
Ruggs says he's put on 13 pounds since the end of last season, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Analysis: Ruggs weighed 188 at the 2020 Combine and is listed at 190 on the Raiders' website, so he may now be pushing 200 pounds as the team kicks off training camp. Despite his disappointing rookie campaign, Ruggs has every opportunity to become the No. 1 receiver in Las Vegas, competing with 31-year-old John Brown and fellow 2020 draft pick Bryan Edwards. While speed will always be his calling card, Ruggs could have more impact on short and intermediate routes now that he's stronger, perhaps benefitting overall even if it means sacrificing a touch of his 4.27 speed.
Jul 29, 2021 7:28 AM EST
Ruggs could face veteran competition for snaps after the Raiders signed John Brown and Willie Snead to replace Nelson Agholor (Patriots), Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group reports.
Analysis: Agholor unexpectedly emerged as the team's No. 1 wideout and top deep threat last season, essentially filling the role that Ruggs was drafted for. Meanwhile, the first-round pick put up a 26/452/2 receiving line in 13 games, with a couple huge plays surrounded by month-long stretches of near-invisibility. With Snead and Hunter Renfrow likely competing for slot work, the top candidates for perimeter snaps are Ruggs, Brown and Bryan Edwards. The Raiders surely hope their 2020 first-round pick can step up as the top guy, but Vic Tafur of the Athletic suggests the team may actually be more confident in Edwards, who was selected 69 picks later (81st overall) in the same draft. It's possible Ruggs opens his second pro season in a rotation if he doesn't assert himself ahead of Edwards in training camp.
Mar 27, 2021 10:37 AM EST
Ruggs (concussion) finished his rookie season with 26 catches for 452 yards and four touchdowns on 43 targets, starting 12 of his 13 games.
Analysis: Apart from the Week 17 contest in which he suffered a concussion, Ruggs played at least 54 percent of offensive snaps in every appearance. He burnt the Chiefs for 118 yards and a touchdown in his third NFL game, but then had just 79 receiving yards total over the next five contests. The first-round pick did make one of the most memorable plays of the 2020 campaign, torching the Jets in Week 13 for a go-ahead, 46-yard TD with five seconds remaining. Ruggs otherwise went unnoticed for much of the year, with TE Darren Waller being the Raiders' volume hog and WR Nelson Agholor emerging as the big-play threat. Ruggs didn't live up to his billing as the first wideout drafted in a deep class for the position, but he probably showed enough potential to enter 2021 training camp with a starting job. The spot across from him is the big question mark, with Agholor scheduled for free agency and Tyrell Williams (shoulder) a likely cap casualty. Fellow 2020 draft pick Bryan Edwards could also enter the mix for perimeter snaps, despite catching only 11 passes as a rookie.
Jan 19, 2021 12:19 PM EST
Ruggs is being evaluated for a concussion and is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Broncos.
Analysis: Ruggs secured all three of his targets for 38 yards before leaving the field, but he also fumbled on his only carry. Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones will stand to handle increased roles if Ruggs can't return Sunday.
Jan 3, 2021 4:04 PM EST
Ruggs took one carry for seven yards, but he failed to catch either of his two targets in Saturday's 26-25 loss to the Dolphins.
Analysis: Ruggs was ineffective as a receiver in his return from the reserve/COVID list, but he still managed to log a customary 44 offensive snaps after missing Week 15. The pass-catching trio of Nelson Agholor, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow combined for 301 yards and a score on 15 total receptions, so it's a shame Ruggs couldn't benefit from quarterback Derek Carr's 9.88 yards per attempt effort. Ruggs should now be able to participate in a full week of practice ahead of the Raiders' season finale in Denver.
Dec 28, 2020 7:16 AM EST
Ruggs is listed as active Saturday against the Dolphins.
Analysis: The Raiders placed Ruggs on the reserve/COVID list Dec. 15, which kept him sidelined Week 15 versus the Chargers. When he was activated from the list Thursday, coach Jon Gruden told Jerry McDonald of The San Jose Mercury News that Ruggs subsequently "looked good" at Thursday's session but didn't speculate on his availability for Saturday. Ruggs is suiting up for Week 16, but it remains to be seen what kind of snap and target count he can expect.
Dec 26, 2020 4:09 PM EST
Ruggs has come off the reserve/COVID-19 list, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Per Jerry McDonald of The San Jose Mercury News, Ruggs practiced Thursday and looked good, according to coach Jon Gruden. As a result, Ruggs could return to action Saturday against the Dolphins, but his status for the contest has yet to be confirmed by the team.
Dec 24, 2020 1:48 PM EST
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said he expects Ruggs (reserve/COVID-19 list) to return to the team facility by the end of the week, but the receiver's status for Saturday's game against the Dolphins has yet to be determined, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Analysis: Gruden's comments suggest Ruggs is seemingly trending in the right direction physically after his initial placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list Dec. 15, but the Raiders may not have a strong feeling about his readiness for game action until they get a chance to reassess him. While Ruggs was sidelined for last week's loss to the Chargers, Zay Jones and Bryan Edwards both saw uptick in their snap counts, but the duo combined for one nine-yard reception across two targets.
Dec 22, 2020 1:58 PM EST
The Raiders placed Ruggs (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, ruling him out for Thursday's game against the Chargers, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Ruggs has either tested positive for COVID-19 or come into close contact with someone who has. As a result, he'll log his second absence of his rookie season. With Ruggs on the pine, the Raiders will turn to Nelson Agholor, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones at wide receiver.
Dec 15, 2020 2:23 PM EST
Ruggs caught three passes on as many targets for 18 yards and returned one kickoff for 24 yards in Sunday's 44-27 loss to the Colts.
Analysis: Ruggs caught 100 percent of his targets for just the second time all season, but he averaged only 6.0 yards per catch Sunday after posting a 3-84-1 line in Week 13 against the Jets. Fellow pass catchers Darren Waller, Nelson Agholor and Hunter Renfrow combined to see 26 total targets thrown their way, but Ruggs should factor back into the mix on Thursday Night Football against the Chargers.
Dec 15, 2020 8:08 AM EST
Ruggs caught three of four targets for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Jets.
Analysis: Ruggs had a ball bounce off his hands for an interception on Vegas' opening drive and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, but those mistakes were overshadowed by the rookie speedster's game-winning 46-yard touchdown with five seconds to go. Left in single coverage with New York blitzing, Ruggs burned cornerback Lamar Jackson deep and hauled in an accurate pass from Derek Carr to keep the Raiders in the playoff hunt at 7-5. Ruggs' value is tied to his big-play ability, but showcasing those skills won't be as easy against the stingy Colts defense in Week 14.
Dec 6, 2020 3:11 PM EST
Ruggs caught three of his five targets for 56 receiving yards during Sunday's 43-6 loss to the Falcons.
Analysis: Ruggs came down with an impressive 36-yard fourth-down reception over Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell on the final play of the first quarter, but he was unable to keep his feet in bounds and get the ball over the pylon. Las Vegas was unable to punch the ball in from Atlanta's three-yard line, ultimately settling for three points on the drive. Fantasy GMs invested in Ruggs have been constantly settling themselves, as the No. 12 overall draft choice has one touchdown on all season and just one outing of more than 55 receiving yards. If another breakout effort is coming, it may come Week 13 against the Jets. New York has allowed the third-most receiving yards to opposing wideouts thus far this season (2,189)
Nov 29, 2020 3:05 PM EST
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