It’s evident that Sean Payton believes in Jerry Jeudy
Jun 9, 2023, 5:56 PM
Sean Payton is going to push Jerry Jeudy. He wants more from the fourth-year wide receiver. He’ll prod and guide him to try and get it. And he’s doing all that because he believes that the 2020 first-round pick can live up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of Alabama.
“I told him, ‘Hey, I’m going to be on you and we’re going to get the most out of you,'” Payton said.
Payton’s style with Jeudy resembles that of some of the best teachers one will experience in their childhood. Those teachers will push and prod. They’ll leave you muttering under your breath. But then, years later, you understand that they actually understood your potential better than anyone.
Those teachers are hard on their students because they believe in their pupils. Payton is an invested teacher — who also sees Jeudy as an enthusiastic student..
“There’re the nuances of the game, relative to landmarks, and the exactness of the passing game. All of those things, he’s been really eager to learn,” Payton said. “I enjoy working with him.”
“… A couple times, he’s catching the ball with his pinkies together instead of his thumbs together. We’ll correct some of that, but he’s someone that certainly will be a big part of what we do.”
The tangible evidence of Payton’s belief in Jeudy came when the Broncos picked up the fifth-year option on him in May.
General manager George Paton had been non-committal in the weeks leading up to that deadline when asked about Jeudy’s status. Trade rumors swirled. But Payton forcefully denied that the Broncos would trade Jeudy — or fellow receiver Courtland Sutton — at the league meetings in March.
And if they weren’t going to trade him, exercising the option made logical sense. It puts the Broncos on the hook for a $12.987 million cap figure for Jeudy next year. That’s reasonable even if he doesn’t increase his production.
And yes, the Broncos drafted Marvin Mims Jr., but his smaller frame and speed project him as a vertical-stretch threat who could perhaps evolve into a slot receiver. He’s the kind of receiver who could play well off of a receiver like Jeudy.
“He’s explosive,” Payton said of the fourth-year veteran. “I remember him coming out and certainly seeing film of him playing. Now, having a chance to work directly with him, he’s very explosive. He’s got extremely loose hips, which allows him to transition well.”
Now, it’s a matter of seeing him transition into Payton’s offense. Jeudy’s late-season surge last year shows the still-untapped potential.
But he’ll need to heed the wisdom of his new teacher to truly unlock all that he has.
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