Jacob Dunne | April 29th, 2020
With the 15th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama. The Broncos get the best wide receiver in the greatest wide receiver draft class in NFL history. After a legendary run at Alabama, Jeudy heads to Denver where he will form a one-two punch with Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Let’s dig a little deeper on Denver’s newest wideout.
Who is Jerry Jeudy?
Jeudy was born and raised in Deerfield Beach, Florida. As a high school senior in 2016, he had 76 receptions for 1,054 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was the 20th ranked high school football player in the nation in 2017 according to ESPN Top 300. Jeudy had 33 total collegiate offers before committing to play for Nick Saban at the University of Alabama.
Alabama Years
Jeudy spent three years at the University of Alabama before forgoing his senior year to enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He helped the Crimson Tide reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game three times while winning one in 2018 against the University of Georgia. Here are Jerry Jeudy’s stats over the three years at Alabama:
- Freshman Year: 14 receptions for 264 yards and two touchdowns
- Sophomore Year: 68 receptions for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns
- Junior Year: 77 receptions for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns
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Despite a slow start to his college career, Jeudy took full advantage of his last two years at Alabama. His breakout sophomore season led to Jeudy being awarded the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver along with earning first-team All-American notice and a first-team ALL-SEC selection. Jeudy followed up his incredible sophomore season with another dominant performance in his junior year, which led to his decision to forgo his senior year to enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
Draft Day
Most mock drafts had Jeudy being taken at either 11 to the New York Jets or 12 to the Las Vegas Raiders. Jeudy was a Top-10 talent heading into the draft with seemingly no way he would be there for the Broncos at pick 15. Denver Sports Radio pundits all wanted the Broncos to take either an offensive lineman or wide receiver with their first pick. The only way for the Broncos to secure an elite offensive lineman or wide receiver was to trade up. Low and behold, the Broncos sat tight at 15 and landed the best receiver in the draft.
Whether Jeudy’s draft-day slide attributed to teams being concerned about his knee or teams not wanting to take a wide receiver early in the draft, one thing is clear: The Broncos got a STEAL. According to ESPN’s Todd McShay, Jeudy is the best route runner he’s ever seen. His elite route-running ability makes his game a near-lock to transition well to the pros.
Potential Fit
Jeudy projects to line up opposite Sutton as the team’s number two receiver. Sutton is still the clear-cut number one receiving option on this team, but Jeudy has the potential and ability to be the 1b to Sutton’s 1a. Broncos general manager John Elway spent the NFL Draft surrounding quarterback Drew Lock with multiple weapons, but none more important and lethal than Jeudy. His supreme route-running ability and speed (4.45 40-Yard Dash) should quickly make Jeudy one of Lock’s favorite targets.
Fantasy Football Implications
Jeudy projects to be a rock-solid WR3 heading into the 2020 Fantasy Football season. His value, though, will fluctuate game-to-game. For example, he should produce low-end WR1 numbers whenever the Broncos face Patrick Mahomes and the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs. Conversely, he’ll have only WR3 upside when he faces inferior opponents since there’s no reason to force-feed him the ball. He’ll be far from a “set it and forget it” type fantasy player in his rookie season. Fantasy owners who spend a late-round pick on him in redraft leagues will need to decide when to start him based on matchups.
Dynasty owners should draft Jeudy with confidence within the first 10 picks in their upcoming rookie drafts.
Jeudy’s 2020 Projections
Receiving: 65 receptions | 975 yards | 8 touchdowns
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