Jerry Jeudy’s play in camp has made an impression on his Denver Broncos teammates.
The Denver Broncos lucked out seeing Jerry Jeudy fall to their lap with the 15th pick in the NFL Draft this year.
Jeudy was regarded by many as the top player at his position in the draft and the most polished route runner league has seen at the college ranks for a while. Scouts and former players were making the rounds talking up Jeudy as a possibility for instant success in the NFL. While the Broncos should not be surprised, it is one thing to watch Jeudy on tape, but another to see it live on video for the first time against NFL players.
After all, sports have taken a hit in 2020. Fans are desperate for positives coming from the camp and the Denver Broncos are getting them with Jeudy.
A number of Denver Broncos players spoke glowingly regarding Jeudy’s progress already and where the former Alabama player is currently. The players speak well from the standpoint of the talent of Jeudy, of course. Jeudy is exceptional after his release post-snap. Mixed with great speed, Jeudy’s change of direction and ability to stop and continue a route at full speed is almost breathtaking.
It is truly poetry in motion.
Broncos safety Kareem Jackson spoke about Jeudy a few days ago. Jackson played with Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, among other stellar NFL wide receivers. So comments like the ones he made should not be taken lightly.
Jackson spoke about the difficulty of covering Jeudy.
"“I think it’ll be very difficult because he has this unorthodox way of running routes. We were kind of talking about it today. He can get in and out of his breaks better than anyone I’ve ever seen before. For him to be rookie, his tempo and his routes—the way he can change pace and the way he sells things is very rare. It’s going to be a challenge for opposing defenses and guys in the secondary. For us, getting a chance to see him every day is going to help us. There’s another guy we see twice a year that kind of puts us in the mind of him in terms of getting in and out of breaks and running routes. For us to be able to see him on a day-to-day basis is going to help us. He’s going to pose a challenge for some other defenses.”Kareem Jackson (quotes from Broncos PR)"
Another notable trait of Jeudy’s is his strong hands. Jeudy has strong hands that allow him to catch any ball thrown his way. Since Denver has a strong-armed quarterback in Drew Lock it makes it appropriate for Jeudy and Lock to gain chemistry right away. Lock spoke about Jeudy but didn’t want to hype him up too much.
"“We’ll say Jerry is pretty good. We’ll put it that way. I’m not putting anything out there and establishing expectations for that young man to hold up because I know if someone would have said that I was the best thrower they’ve ever seen last year, I would have gone into games with a little bit of added pressure. Jerry has been great. I think the best thing that I’ve seen out of Jerry is how hard he comes out and works every day and just how on top of it he is—no questions asked. I pop in there and call plays out.”Drew Lock"
One of the other players Lock expects to show chemistry with during a season is Noah Fant. Fant struggled early as a rookie but burst onto the scene having one of the best seasons ever for a rookie tight end. Fant is now entering his second season and expects this offense to open up because of Jeudy’s addition.
"“I think Jerry had a nice day today. I think he had a couple good catches. He had some good routes. He’s going to be a lot of help for us. Obviously, we have Courtland [Sutton] who’s doing big things for us. Jerry’s going to be a good addition to that. It’s good to see him obviously coming out and making some catches already and doing his thing. I’m excited for that. I think having a bunch of receivers that are good threats will open all of our tight ends up which I’m super excited about. It’ll be a good thing.”Noah Fant"
As Fant mentions, the offense will be much improved with the addition of Jeudy. Even more can be said for KJ Hamler.
Another teammate of Jeudy’s and on the defensive side of the ball whose opinion holds plenty of weight is cornerback AJ Bouye. Bouye has certainly taken notice of Jeudy’s ability to create separation in practice.
A.J. Bouye: "When I watch Jerry Jeudy, he reminds me a lot of Amari Cooper."
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) August 18, 2020
AJ Bouye says Jerry Jeudy “never gives you the same look.” Said he has enjoyed going up against the rookie WR because it forces him to be on point.
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 18, 2020
The more playmakers you have on offense, the higher chance for the offense to excel at a top-level.
The Denver Broncos are expected to be a new look, high-octane offense with Drew Lock and others running the show. If Jeudy can live up to the early hype it should be a fun season for the rookie.