The debate over who's better between Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy didn't stop after both receivers were drafted in the top 15 in April. If anything, that longstanding conversation has only grown louder since then.
In the eyes of the legendary Nick Saban, who had the pleasure of cultivating both for three seasons at Alabama, if it came down to a coin toss to decide which of the two to have, neither side would lose.
"I think it's a matter of personal preference, choice, whatever you want to call it," Saban told NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano Wednesday on NFL Now. "I think receivers are a little bit like a basketball team, you got a point guard, you got a two-guard, you got a swing forward, you got a power forward, they're all different but they're all very critical to being successful as a team.
"So, if your personal preference was to have a speed receiver then Henry Ruggs is probably as good as it gets. If you wanted somebody whose a little more of a finesse type player, great slot receiver, good option route runner than you probably would favor Jerry Jeudy."
Saban's reply was in response to what he thought of the people who were surprised Ruggs, taken 12th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, was the first receiver selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas had a huge need at the position and tabbed Ruggs as the prospect who best filled that void, hence why it made him the first WR taken on draft day. Jeudy's "fall" wouldn't last long, of course, as he became the second drafted WR when he went to the Denver Broncos at pick 15.
Both bring unique, game-changing pedigrees to the table, which is why Saban has high confidence that they will excel in their areas of expertise, much like they did for the Crimson Tide.
"In their own style of play, both guys are exceptional so it really was just a matter of personal choice in terms of what somebody was really looking for. I think both guys are really, really good players and I think they'll have great careers," Saban said.
Ruggs and Jeudy proved to be two of college football's best over the past couple years. Now, they'll be striving for greatness at the next level where the comparisons will undoubtedly rage on.
In other news, Saban also discussed how the cancellation of pro days and closing of team facilities due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to him receiving more calls from clubs looking to find out more about his players than in previous years:
"I think the reason being, a lot of the questions that people had about players, I think when I was in the NFL, I always wanted to try to get those questions answered myself whether I went and worked a player out or went to his pro day or saw him run a time or whatever it might be. And people didn't have the opportunity to do that," he said. "It wasn't realistic to think that you could get those questions answered that way this year and I think people relied more on relationships and communication with those who are around the player so I did get a lot more calls this year than I typically get."
