This draft class’ most polished and NFL-ready route runner, Jerry Jeudy, surprisingly fell to pick No. 15 on Thursday night to the Denver Broncos. Luckily for Jeudy, he won’t be asked to be an immediate Alpha WR1 next to Courtland Sutton, and he’s being inserted into an offense with the likes of Sutton, Melvin Gordon, Noah Fant, and Phillip Lindsay. Overall, Jeudy will bring his precise route-running and play-making ability after the catch to the perimeter in Denver, making him a top three fantasy WR lock in his class — and maybe even No. 1.
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Although some say Jeudy benefited from a star-studded surrounding cast at Alabama with fellow first rounders Tua Tagovailoa and Henry Ruggs, and future studs DeVonta Smith and Najee Harris, Jeudy was a five-star prospect who lived up to the hype in Tuscaloosa.
A first team All-American in his last two seasons as a starter, Jeudy recorded back-to-back 1,000 yd seasons and found the end zone 24 times during that span — highlighted by a sophomore season where he notched 14 scores.
Jeudy lined up on the outside and in the slot for Steve Sarkisian’s offense and he’ll be able to bring that versatility to Mile High.
“Jeudy can run every route in the playbook and is a very quarterback-friendly target with his ability to separate, making sharp, collected cuts at full speed that defenders can’t match,” wrote Dane Brugler of The Athletic. “Everything he does is quick, including his ability to snare-and-secure throws, but focus drops plagued his tape, especially over the middle.”
When checking up with the nerds over at PFF, Jeudy’s percent of targets by route over the last two seasons showed how his route tree mastery was utilized.
It’s not common for college wideouts to run more than 1-2 routes, but the majority of Jeudy’s targets came on out routes (19 percent), screens (15 percent), slants (12 percent), go routes (11 percent), and hitch routes (9 percent). That is a silly combination of routes for a college kid.
Although Jeudy will take a backseat to Sutton, he should challenge Fant for targets as Lock’s No. 2 guy on the target totem pole. He’ll easily unseat DaeSean Hamilton on the outside, but depending on how much the team uses Fant in the slot, it would make sense for Lock to look Jeudy’s way early and often during his rookie season.
“Overall, Jeudy doesn’t have the ideal body type or play strength, but his combination of play
speed, brake-and-balance skills and route savvy allow him to uncover anywhere he wants on the field, projecting as an impact NFL receiving target,” concluded Brugler.
We’re not sure where Jeudy will fall on The Wolf’s 2020 Big Board and Rankings, but Jeudy’s combination of personal talent, surrounding talent, and upside in this offense, should make him the WR1 in his draft class.
