The scouting report on Broncos first-round pick Jerry Jeudy
Apr 24, 2020, 6:42 AM | Updated: 6:55 am
The Broncos made my night when they selected Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Jeudy was my No. 1 receiver in this draft class and I projected the team would take him with their pick without having to move up.
Talking to team sources around the league, I discovered how the Las Vegas Raiders were debating CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma) and Henry Ruggs III (Alabama) and not Jeudy. This gave me the confidence to put him at No. 15 overall in the mock draft for The Fan.
He can be a big weapon for this offense in 2020. In fact, the rookie should start from day one and has the upside to be a superstar in this league. Jeudy is certainly excited to catch passes from Drew Lock and share a wide receiver room with Courtland Sutton in the 2020 season and beyond.
“They are a great group of guys that I’ve seen play over their college careers and this past season, so they are great players that I’d like to learn from, play next to and compete with,” Jeudy said on Thursday night.
Here are some of my favorite notes from studying every game Jeudy played in over the last two years.
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Route-Running Ability
The first thing that stands out about Jeudy is his ability to run near-perfect routes. His pad speed is great and he can make big plays in the blink of an eye. However, it’s the way that Jeudy gets open that is eye-popping.
I like the way that he changes his route speed, a savvy move that most rookie receivers don’t yet know when they enter the league. Jeudy does a good job of making every route look the same and doesn’t tip off the direction that he’s going before he makes his break.
When making a break on his route, Jeudy does not lose much speed. This means he can create more separation at the stem of his route. Jeudy has pro-level route-running from day one and that is truly rare.
Just wait until you see his first “dead leg” move for the Broncos – you will lose your mind! He forced 15 missed tackles last year after the catch, a mark that was one of the best in the FBS. Jeudy is a threat to take it to the house from anywhere on the field in large part due to his route-running ability.
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Lots of Big Plays
An important stat to note on Jeudy is how many big plays he makes down the field. He can win at all depth on the field, but it’s his deep pass-catching ability that truly stands out.
Jeudy had more receptions of more than 15 yards during the last two years than any other player in all of major college football. Keep in mind that Jeudy did this in the SEC – the toughest conference in all of college football.
Move that number to 20 or more yards and you see even more playmaking ability. In 2019, Jeudy caught nine of 22 passes and four touchdowns. His quarterbacks had a passer rating of 127.8 when targeting Jeudy on passes of that length. Simply put, Jeudy should be a deep target in the Broncos passing game to put pressure on opposing defenses down the field. He should certainly take the attention of the safeties away from Sutton.
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Slot or Outside
Jeudy gives the Broncos a ton of versatility when it comes to where he could line up on the field to attack a defense. While a guy like Justin Jefferson (LSU) was nearly exclusive in the slot (only five snaps out wide in 2019), Jeudy was moved all over the formation.
Last season, Jeudy played 600 snaps for the Crimson Tide. Of those snaps, 326 of those were from the slot, while 271 of those came when he lined up outside.
On Thursday night, he talked about where he likes to line up on the field.
“I feel like I’m a wide receiver who can play inside, outside or wherever they put me at to get the ball. I don’t feel like I’m a better inside receiver than outside receiver. I’m a good receiver overall. I know how to get open and press off against whoever is guarding me. I just know how to get open. That’s it,” Jeudy said.
The Broncos can use Jeudy in any number of different ways. The addition of this top-tier rookie puts a ton of pressure on Pat Shurmur to be more creative than he has been in years past with a No. 2 receiver. In all honesty, Jeudy is not a No. 2 and instead a second No. 1 receiver for the Broncos who could be a star from his first snap.
