Was Jerry Jeudy the right pick for the Denver Broncos in the 2020 draft?
Jerry Jeudy came to the Denver Broncos with all of the accolades you’d expect from a top-tier prospect. Since being drafted, Jeudy has had a solid rookie campaign with expected ups and downs.
Jeudy has compiled 47 catches for 716 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the surface, the 21-year-old receiver seems to have produced more than one would expect for a rookie at a position that takes players a year or two to adapt to the NFL game.
However, recent games of inactivity along with several big drops have brought a lot of conversation about whether Jeudy was the right pick for the Broncos.
It has been interesting to watch over the final few weeks as the team focuses on getting Jeudy involved in the offense.
Jeudy could be a cornerstone to the team’s future and an elite player at his position, or he could show to be the 4th or 5th best receiver from the 2020 draft.
I looked back at the 2020 draft and pulled some names that the Broncos could have or maybe even should have drafted instead of the University of Alabama receiver. I looked at who was available at 15 and decide if the Broncos should have gone in a different direction.
Instead of Jerry Jeudy, should the Broncos have selected another wide receiver?
Option A – Justin Jefferson
Jerry Jeudy was not the only stud receiver available in the 2020 draft.
Justin Jefferson was selected with pick 22 overall by the Vikings. Jefferson has replaced Stefon Diggs in providing the Vikings a legitimate number one receiving option for Kirk Cousins. Jefferson was viewed as a solid prospect but was doubted because of his connection with Joe Burrow. Many believed Burrow was responsible for Jefferson’s success.
That seems to be the farthest from the truth. Jefferson (6-1, 202 pounds), is sure-handed and a great route-runner with good hands. Add Jefferson’s big-play ability to the Denver offense, and this team could have looked much different.
Jefferson has compiled 79 catches for 1267 yards and 7 scores. He earned a 2020 Pro-Bowl nod for his strong play.
The argument could have been made that Jefferson could or even should have been the first receiver selected in this draft and it’s fair to bring that argument to Denver’s selection of Jeudy.
Option B – Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool was not as highly thought of as Jerry Jeudy in draft circles. However, he was a standout for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and checked all of the boxes; size, speed, and hands.
Many teams focused on his tight end size frame and worried he would not be as effective outside. He has shown that is not the case whatsoever.
Claypool (6-4, 238 pounds) has shown the ability to run away from defenders while also consistently winning in jump-ball scenarios.
Claypool lining out outside would have given Drew Lock a tremendous target within the red zone that this team sorely needs.
Option C – CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb may go down as the 2020 version of the Dallas Cowboys’ Dez Bryant and Denver’s Demaryius Thomas (Jerry Jeudy). Like Thomas and Bryant, the two were selected closely, as Lamb was selected two picks behind Jeudy. Many had debated whether Lamb would be a better pick for the Broncos. However, reports suggest Lamb was not ranked as high as Jeudy on the team’s draft board.
Maybe the Broncos should have reconsidered?
Lamb has been phenomenal this season, especially as the year has gone on. Lamb has grabbed 69 catches for 892 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Lamb’s big-play ability could really compliment the steadiness of Tim Patrick this season if the Broncos went that route.
However, Lamb has had similar issues with drops and his issues may be too close to Jeudy’s for comfort.
Ruling
Both players would have been upgrades this year, but the jury is out on their long term prognosis.
Jefferson and Claypool both may be very good receivers for a long time, they also may benefit from working with an experienced offense that does not ask them to carry the load. Though Lamb’s statistics are better, I am not sure his difference changes the Broncos offense this season or beyond.
Time will tell as teams get more tape on them. Jeudy has a chance to be every bit the player both of these guys are.
Do the Broncos pick a linebacker instead of Jeudy?
Option A – Kenneth Murray
Kenneth Murry, a linebacker out of Oklahoma University was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 23rd overall selection. Though there has been improved play from Josey Jewell, he and Alexander Johnson remain limited physically and do not possess the speed or athleticism usually associated with Vic Fangio’s defense.
Murray will was a playmaker at Oklahoma and comes with size (6-2, 241 pounds) and is rangy. His ability to go sideline to sideline could have provided a more diverse look for the Broncos defense.
Option B – Patrick Queen
Patrick Queen, a linebacker out of reigning National Champion LSU was selected at pick 31 by the Baltimore Ravens.
Queen saw a meteoritic rise in his stock throughout the 2019 season. Queen entered the draft as the best coverage linebacker available with his speed and range being plus assets.
Similar to Murray, Queen could be exactly what Fangio is looking for as he fits the mold of his preferred blue-chip linebackers.
Ruling
The Broncos may look to address linebacker again in the 2021 draft but could have really used a player of Queen’s caliber this season.
Time will tell on whether or not players like Queen or Murray would have improved this defense. I do not believe either of these players was a better selection than Jeudy.
Do Broncos go secondary instead of Jeudy?
Option A – Antioine Winfield Jr.
With the uncertainty in the defensive backfield long term, the Broncos could have gone a variety of ways. Antoine Winfield Jr. is a direction I would have really liked them to look. Winfield Jr. is a smaller safety (5-10, 203 pounds) but brings versatility this defense desperately needed.
Winfield has been a plus defender each year at Minnesota before being drafted with the 45th selection by Tampa Bay.
His ability to play all over the field would have fit nicely next to Justin Simmons, or been a nice replacement if the Pro-Bowler leaves after the 2020 season.
Option B – Jeremy Chinn
With the pick at 64, the Carolina Panthers got an absolute steal. Jeremy Chinn has been nothing short of amazing in his first season. Chinn, the nephew of Broncos Hall of Fame safety Steve Atwater, has a lot of the physical traits his uncle has.
Chinn’s size (6-3, 221 pounds), reminds many of us of Number 27, ad his ability to play in the box also brings Broncos Country flashbacks of yesteryear.
However, Chinn is his own player and brings ground-covering skill this defense could use next to Simmons on the back end.
Additionally, Chinn has lined up in the box at linebacker, so his ability to provide the defense with what it needs could come in a variety of ways.
Chinn would have looked phenomenal in Organe and Blue.
Options C and D – Cornerback
Jaylon Johnson, a cornerback from the University of Utah was selected with pick 50 but could have been selected earlier. He brings size (6-0, 193 pounds) along with the fluid cover skills necessary to shut down opposing receivers.
Cornerback was an issue going into the 2020 draft and remains an issue the Broncos could have addressed this position early in round 1.
Trevon Diggs is a big-bodied corner (6-1, 205 pounds) who brings strength and speed to the position.
Diggs has played well for a poor Dallas Cowboys defense after being selected in round 2 of the 2020 draft.
Diggs has three interceptions and 12 passes defended on the season, which would rank above most Bronco defenders this season.
It’s hard not to think about how different this season could be with improved cornerback play.
Verdict
Winfield and Chinn would have been really nice chess-pieces for this Broncos defense that served well beyond 2020. Both players bring versatility and playmaking ability this team just doesn’t have right now.
Johnson has shown flashes, but not the production to warrant a top-15 selection. His play has been up-and-down and may not have offered the Broncos a true upgrade at the cornerback position.
Diggs however has been more than the Cowboys could have asked for. His ability to match up with top receivers has been promising as their defense truly struggled without him. Diggs might have been exactly what this defense needed.
However, neither player is as good as Jeudy is now, nor do they have the upside long-term.
Bring in competition for Lock?
Alright, let’s just get all types of crazy. What about selecting Jalen Hurts, Quarterback out of Oklahoma University with the 15th selection?
Hurts has come in and provided the Philidelphia Eagles with a tremendous spark,
Hurts ability to run along with his toughness and leadership could provide this offense with a different dimension than any years before.
Now, just because Hurts can run does not mean he isn’t a threat in the pocket. Hurts is coming off of back-to-back 300-yard performances in his rookie season.
Maybe, he would have stepped in when Lock was injured and won over Broncos Country, earning him the right to be the Quarterback of the Future in Denver.
Verdict
Hurts may become a good quarterback in the league, but him coming to Denver and providing something long-term Lock can’t is a stretch. Hurts may have landed in the perfect situation to capitalize on his skills, but that could not have been the case in Denver. The Broncos were right to pass on him at 15 and beyond.
Conclusion
In the end, the only real debate is fit at receiver with the options of Jefferson, Lamb, and Claypool as better alternatives. Each of those players could turn out to be better pros than Jeudy, only time will tell.
In the 2020 season, would any of these players be an upgrade? Jeudy’s drops have been a concern throughout the season. However, drafts aren’t won in year 1, it is a process that plays out over 3 to 4 years.
Winfield and Chinn have shown to be really defensive pieces for today’s NFL that Fangio would love to have. Either player would have been a great pick for this team for today and the future.
Denver Broncos defense only 2021 NFL mock draft
The Denver Broncos could emphasize the defensive side of the ball in the 2021 NFL Draft. Here is a defense-only three-round mock draft.
However, Jeudy is the right pick and I expect him to bounce back strongly in 2021 and beyond. If we are able to not be prisoners at the moment, we all can rationally see Jeudy’s upside and know that when it all “clicks” for him, he will be an absolute nightmare for defenses in the future.