Mike Mayock: Henry Ruggs will make our whole offense better

[Rusher]

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After the Raiders made wide receiver Henry Ruggs the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, General Manager Mike Mayock said that Ruggs’ speed and explosion set him apart from the other wideouts on the board.

Mayock shared some more of his thoughts on the team’s top pick during a visit with Rich Eisen on Thursday. He said Ruggs provides value well beyond using his speed as a deep threat to the passing game.

He noted that Ruggs can be used on “manufactured touches” like jet sweeps and bubble screen and that his “element of speed” will rub off on other players. Mayock said Ruggs “will make Josh Jacobs better, Darren Waller better, everything underneath better and, ultimately, our whole offense better.”

That would be a pretty good return from one draft pick and Mayock went even further by suggesting that the rookie could contribute on special teams as a kick returner and gunner on the punt team. Should all that come to pass, the Raiders should be better than they were last year and Ruggs could find himself in rookie of the year conversations.