Jerry Jeudy couldn’t save the Broncos’ season, but he might have saved his career

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week, we’ll be giving out Broncos awards for the 2022 season. First up: Offensive Player of the Year.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MASE: Jerry Jeudy

Going into the season, one would have only expected this honor to belong to Russell Wilson. But the campaign disappointed in every way. Only in some brief late-game bursts in the first half of the season and in three of his final starts did Wilson look like himself.

But a quarterback who ranked 27th in passer rating, 27th in EPA/play and 28th in ESPN QBR among 33 quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts isn’t going to receive any kind of reward. The numbers didn’t lie about Wilson’s 2022 season. It was the worst campaign of his pro career. It was far from good enough and yielded more questions than answers.

Now, Jeudy’s 2022 season? It took a while, but the No. 15 overall pick in 2022 began answering questions in a big way. He came within 28 yards of the first 1,000-yard season of his career. But most importantly, he had a sustained run of play after returning from a Week 10 ankle injury that was the best of his career.

In Weeks 12-17, Jeudy had 37 catches for 523 yards and 3 touchdowns. All of his scores came in the same game — a 34-28 loss to Kansas City. The reception and yardage tally put him on a 105-catch, 1,481-yard pace per 17 games.

And that may well be enough for Jeudy to earn the fifth-year option.

Wilson had something to do with Jeudy’s ascent. His counsel and support helped Jeudy find a better mindset, from which confidence to flourish in the NFL grew.

But it’s Jeudy who showed that he could be what the team needs from a WR1.

CECIL: Jerry Jeudy

It was a frustrating beginning for Jeudy in 2022, but he finished the season strong and consistently flashed the talent that made him a first-round pick. Jeudy was my No. 1-rated receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. That year’s wide receiver class is largely considered the best at the position in NFL history.

Over the last two years, Jeudy has largely disappointed highlighted by a zero-touchdown season in 2021.

When QB Russell Wilson was acquired, I felt it was great news for Jeudy. They certainly started the season off the right way, and Jeudy had four catches for 102 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.

After that breakout performance, Jeudy didn’t approach the 100-yard mark until Week 7 (96 yards versus the New York Jets). He didn’t get back over the century mark until Week 16 (117 yards versus the Los Angeles Rams). But it’s Jeudy’s performance in the season finale that puts him over the top for me, and he ended the season with a whopping 154 yards on just five catches against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The wide receiver position used to take three years to get up to speed in the pro game. The proliferation of passing has made college receivers more ready than ever before. However, some players still need time to fully develop. The great thing about this season for Jeudy is the fact that he still hasn’t fully shown what he can be in the NFL.

I think more consistency could be the key for Jeudy to be a perennial Pro Bowl type of player, and that’s something we can look forward to next season. Jeudy is still a dangerous route runner, and the Broncos figured out how to get the most out of him by making him a backside “X” receiver. That puts him first in the progressions, and that gets him involved early.

When Jeudy is involved early, he is dialed in — and I think there is more good play to come from this burgeoning star.

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