With the excitement generated around a true freshman phenom like Henderson or the unstoppable double threat of Olave and Wilson, it's easy to miss the quiet excellence of Jeremy Ruckert. 

Ruckert is probably the most underutilized player on our entire roster, which isn't an indictment on the coaches or the QB, seeing as our WRs are just that good. After 7 games, Ruckert now has 16 receptions (a career high, beating 2019's total of 14), 186 yards (another career high, topping 2020's 151 yards), and 3 TDs (his high was 2020 with 5) with 5 regular season games still left to play. 

With a player like Ruckert you really have to wonder if the NFL will recognize his talent, because none of his stats jump off the spreadsheet. He's a great example of players who can't be evaluated just looking at the raw numbers, because they don't account for the fact that he's playing in an offense that often forgets that tight ends are eligible receivers, and that he's having to share the ball with at least three future NFL WRs. 

I see Ruckert being one of the steals of the next draft, someone whose name gets called in the 3rd or 4th round but becomes an immediate contributor, especially if he's drafted by a quality franchise with a good QB.