Alabama football is used to seeing Henry Ruggs sprint across the screen.
Madden 21 is still months away from launching, but we are getting details of the new game. Rookie ratings are slowly being released, and we just found out that Henry Ruggs III is the highest-rated rookie receiver in the game. He is just above Alabama football’s Jerry Jeudy and Tua Tagovailoa in terms of overall rating.
Ruggs is a 76 overall player at launch, but the one thing that sets him apart is speed. HRIII has 98 speed, second to only Tyreek Hill. This should be no surprise to Crimson Tide fans. We all saw how fast Henry Ruggs was in Bryant-Denny Stadium. His speed is part of the reason why the Las Vegas Raiders drafted him as the first receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In real life, the Las Vegas Raiders will be using Henry Ruggs in many ways. His speed will make him useful on screens and slants, but they would love for him to open up the field. As a deep threat, simply having Ruggs in formation forces the safeties to take a couple of steps backward. Derek Carr will finally get a chance to show his arm strength consistently.
Other Alabama football news for Madden 21.
While Ruggs is a 76 overall player with 98 speed, Jeudy is right behind him at 75. Jeudy has better agility and route-running ratings, but he has nothing compared to Ruggs’ speed. His teammate K.J. Hamler brings speed to the Denver Broncos, though.
Ruggs is currently tied for the highest-rated rookie in Madden 21 with Joe Burrow, but do not expect that to last. Only ratings for rookie receivers and quarterbacks have been released. Once the offensive linemen, edge rushers, and other key positions have their ratings announced, there will be some players in the high 70s. I believe it is safe to assume that Chase Young will be the highest-rated rookie in Madden 21 when it’s all said and done.
We still need to see how Jedrick Wills, Xavier McKinney, and other Alabama football players are rated, but this is looking like a good start for Crimson Tide fans who want to play Madden 21.