Denver Broncos: How Jerry Jeudy Benefits From QB Change

News broke earlier this week that Teddy Bridgewater will be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and there’s one player who is sure to benefit the most.

Alright Broncos Country, I know the quarterback news might’ve not been what you wanted, however, we may finally see Jerry Jeudy at his best. Despite only being in year two, some were disappointed in his rookie play last season, but were his failures all on him? Let’s be honest, the Drew Lock to Jeudy connection was like trying to force a PlayStation disc into a Gamecube.

It just didn’t work.

Now the 15th overall pick gets a chance to play with a quarterback who, not only fits his playing style but showcases why the Broncos gave him a call on draft night. At Alabama, it was a mix of short dinks to medium-length passes that got the ball in Jeudy’s hands and allowed his feet to finish the job. The most impressive thing about Jeudy is his route-running ability, which was seen on full display at Alabama where he had 145 receptions, 2,478 yards, and 24 touchdowns in his last two seasons for the Tide.

So, what was so bad about his rookie season?

Simple…his dropped passes.

Which is something Bridgewater can help fix.

I get that Jeudy had a problem dropping passes in college, however, last season was a bit excessive when you factor in that he was a 15th overall pick. I don’t expect this problem to be an issue this season regardless of if it was Drew Lock leading charge, but Bridgewater helps ease that issue just a bit more.

Bridgewater is more of a check down, soft toss versus the force and risky throws that came with Lock. Jeudy’s rookie season did have many highlights that resulted in Oohs, but often it was just his route running and not him catching the ball.

During his rookie year, he was targeted 113 times and caught 52 of those balls for a 46 percent catch rate. He did rack up 856 yards but only 284 yards coming after the catch. Jeudy did have a 16.5-yard average, however, he only celebrated three touchdowns and averaged 3.3 receptions a game.

The leadership that Bridgewater offers should certainly help Jeudy and the rest of this young, but flammable, core. The knowledge he learned from Drew Brees and his ability to play it safe is a reason why he won the quarterback battle. I’m not saying that due to Bridgewater’s leadership that Jeudy turns into the best wide receiver this year, but if you play fantasy football, he will be a safe WR1.

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