Former Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III showed off his blazing speed on Thursday during the NFL Scouting Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds (initially unofficially clocked at 4.28 seconds). That was the best mark of the night and just 0.05 seconds shy of tying the Combine record of 4.22 seconds set by John Ross in 2017.

The San Francisco 49ers may be in the market for a receiver in this year's draft, but it's widely believed that Ruggs will be taken by the time the team picks at No. 31. Still, that didn't stop the Niners from speaking with Ruggs in Indianapolis this week, according to Bay Area News Group, because you never know what could happen in the draft.


At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5-foot-11 and 188-pound Ruggs also had a vertical jump of 42 inches and a broad jump of 131 inches. Other measurables for the receiver include an arm length of 30 1/2 inches and hands that measure 10 1/8 inches.

Ruggs recorded 86 catches for 1,487 receiving yards with 18 touchdowns over his past two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He also had two rushing attempts for 75 yards and a score during his junior year in 2019.



49ers general manager John Lynch spoke with reporters this week in Indianapolis about this draft class' depth at wide receiver.

"The draft class is incredibly strong," Lynch said. "That's my fourth Combine, and it's as good as I've ever seen. I mean, the depth of it, the top-end players, it's a really good class.

RELATEDAlabama receiver Henry Ruggs III impresses at NFL Scouting Combine
"You kind of get whatever flavor you like. You like a smaller, quicker guy? Those guys are there. If you like the big guys that can move, those guys are there. If you like speed, that's there. If you like separators. And so I think the whole league is kind of smiling about that."

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Ruggs to Ted Ginn Jr., wrote the following about Ruggs within his scouting report:

"Ruggs' speed alone helps both the running and passing games because it forces safeties into more passive positioning. He can work all three levels and his ability to turn slants and crossing routes into big gainers could make him the favorite gift under the tree for a quarterback and offense in need of an explosive weapon. He has quick, sure hands to handle off-target throws, but learning to release, separate and catch against physical NFL cornerbacks could require an adjustment period. He won't rack up the targets, but has explosive speed and talent to imprint on games with regularity."

Jordan Reid of The Draft Network wrote the following about Ruggs within his scouting report:


"A much better route runner than given credit for, he has the ability to stop on a dime in order to change directions without any extra needed steps. Ruggs III can win in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field as well. His speed forces defenses to guard every blade of grass, but even when doing so, he can leave tread marks on the playing surface from how fast he runs in an instant, Ruggs III is in line to become a top-15 selection and a prospect that can be an instant impact type of threat because of how translatable his skill set is into today's game."

Measurables


Height: 5-11
Weight: 188 lbs.
Arm length: 30 1/2 inches
Hand length: 10 1/8 inches

NFL Scouting Combine


40-time: 4.27 seconds
Vertical: 42 inches
Broad jump: 131 inches

College Statistics
Year School Class G Rec Yds Avg TD
2017 Alabama FR 14 12 229 19.1 6
2018 Alabama SO 14 46 741 16.1 11
2019 Alabama JR 12 40 746 18.7 7
Total Alabama 98 1716 17.5 24

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