Are the Browns now officially out of the Jerry Jeudy sweepstakes?

There has been a lot of smoke about the Denver Broncos changing things up in their wide receiver room.

The team has reportedly been shopping Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. While at the same time looking to add somebody new, striking out on both Allen Lazard and Adam Thielen. Jeudy would seemingly have the most value for the Broncos to flip since he is young, coming off a solid second half of 2022 and is still on a rookie contract.

But one team in the bidding for Russell Wilson’s favorite target from a season ago is likely out. The Cleveland Browns moved down from pick No. 42 in this year’s NFL Draft for Elijah Moore and pick No. 74 from the New York Jets.

Moore is coming off his sophomore season where he caught 37 passes for 446 yards and a touchdown. He was selected with the 32nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Mississippi. Moore was one of the top wideouts in the country while in college, earning multiple All-SEC honors and finishing as a finalist for the 2020 Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation’s top receiver. He hasn’t quite lived up to his potential yet but he has already gained a reputation around the league as an electric and dynamic receiver with impressive speed and quickness.

Comparing Moore to Jeudy, the Broncos player is a year older but has had far more success in the pros. That shouldn’t be too surprising given he was selected 15th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. It does impact the value of the two and makes for an easy comparison as pointed out by Denver Sports’ Broncos reporter Andrew Mason.

Elijah Moore has averaged 619 yards per 17 games and was worth the difference between pick 42 and pick 74 — which means his value is between pick 60 and pick 66, depending on which draft-value scale you use. Jerry Jeudy has averaged 952 yards per 17 games for his career. https://t.co/Fn469eB3tD

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 22, 2023

The Browns were reported to be interested in Jeudy.

The Alabama alumnus just had the best season of his young career, catching 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns. Not only did Jeudy flash the potential that got him drafted so high, but he also showed better chemistry with quarterback Wilson than any of his teammates.

What’s odd about the Broncos shopping him is the team appears to be in win-now mode despite the voices of the hot takers. And Jeudy is likely Wilson’s best target.

If Denver is indeed keen on trading Jeudy, Wednesday made their one less team desperate to add a wide receiver. Of course, the Browns could still add Jeudy as could the Jets, who have also been adding weapons to Aaron Rodgers’ arsenal.

***