Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs III has signed his rookie contract with the relocated franchise, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport indicating the deal is four years, worth $16.67 million dollars with a 5th-year option.
With AFC West teams loading up on speed in the draft to combat the likes of Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman with the division rival Chiefs, Vegas chose Ruggs with the 12th-overall pick in April. The University of Alabama wide receiver ran a 4.27 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine to improve his draft status.
The Denver Broncos, another rival of the Raiders and Chiefs in the AFC West, chose Ruggs teammate with the Crimson Tide, Jerry Jeudy, with the 15th overall selection in the NFL Draft.
The addition of Ruggs to the Raiders receiving corps fits into the franchise’s emphasis on speed at the receiver positions, going back to the days of the late owner Al Davis in Oakland in the 1960s.
Photo credit – Vasha Hunt / Associated Press / Tuscaloosa, AL
