In 2020, the Denver Broncos drafted Jerry Jeudy 15th overall out of the University of Alabama. He was the second wide receiver picked in that draft and the earliest wideout the Broncos had ever taken. Because of an outstanding college career, he was expected to be Denver’s new lead wideout. Four years later, that hasn’t been the case. Jeudy has had his massive ups and downs throughout his four years in Denver. Why hasn’t the college star taken the next step in his NFL career? Is it on Jeudy or have the Broncos failed to give him the guidance and system that work for him?
Jerry Jeudy And The Reasons For His Lack Of Production With The Broncos
Jeudy’s College Career
For three years, Jeudy attended the University of Alabama. In his rookie year, Jeudy and Alabama won the National championship. Though he only played in eight games that year, he was second among all Alabama wide receivers in yards. Jeudy was able to make an impact right away at Alabama and become the starting wideout in his second year.
Jeudy’s sophomore campaign was historic. Once he took over as the lead wide receiver at Alabama he put up stats that led all of college football. Jeudy had 68 receptions (fourth overall), 1315 receiving yards (second overall), and 14 touchdowns (first overall) that year. For his success, he was given the Biletnikoff Award, the award given to the best receiver in NCAA Football. Jeudy excelled in a wide receiver room that had NFL stars Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins), Devonte Smith (Philadelphia Eagles), and Henry Ruggs (Ex- Las Vegas Raider) in it. The star wideout almost doubled each of these receivers’ production and led his team to a 14-1 record.
Jeudy continued his success in his final year at Alabama. He was named an All-American by the AFCA and finished his college career with 26 touchdowns, second all-time in Alabama history. As the 2019 season came to an end, Jeudy started looking towards the draft. He was considered the top receiver in the draft and was expected to go into the top ten by some analysts. On draft day, Jeudy ended up dropping to 15th overall to the Broncos. He was selected three picks after his Alabama teammate, Henry Ruggs. Denver believed that they had somehow gotten the best wide receiver in the draft, and for good reason. Sadly for the Broncos, it hasn’t panned out that way so far.
Jeudy’s Career With The Broncos
With his outstanding route running, amazing speed, and unpredictable moves Jerry Jeudy has what it takes to be a top-ten wideout in the NFL. Yet he hasn’t come close to hitting that mark through his first four seasons. The Broncos hoped they had a new top wide receiver when they drafted Jeudy, but year after year he seems to underperform in one way or another.
Jeudy’s rookie year was solid but left a lot to be desired. Though he wasn’t supposed to be the starting wide receiver that year, he led the team with 856 receiving yards paired with three touchdowns. He was having some success, but he felt he was being underutilized. After a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Jeudy took to Twitter, saying “At least I got my conditioning in”. This was the first, but not the last time Jeudy took to Twitter to complain about usage. After a year filled with bad quarterback play and a league-leading 17.9% drop rate, Jeudy’s rookie season left a bad taste in the mouths of the Broncos who believed he would be successful.
The three years after Jeudy’s rookie season haven’t been much better. In 2021, Jeudy only played 10 games due to a high ankle sprain. Because of this, he had less than 500 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. With the acquisition of Russell Wilson in 2022, Jeudy’s career expectations went through the roof once again. In his 15 games with Wilson in 2o22, Jeudy had career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Though he had some success in Wilson’s first year he didn’t rank in the top 20 for almost every receiving stat. So far this year, Jeudy usage has nose-dived. In 11 games, Jeudy has less than 500 yards paired with only one touchdown.
The Reasons Why Jeudy Is Underperforming
After four mediocre years, a few questions have to be asked. Why are the Broncos and Jerry Jeudy still not on the same page? Who is holding Jeudy back, the Broncos organization or himself? It seems, after looking over Jeudy’s career, there are a multitude of reasons and both sides are to blame.
Through Jeudy’s short career with the Broncos, the organization has been in turmoil. Jeudy has had five starting quarterbacks, four head coaches, and three offensive coordinators since he was drafted. The lack of stability and good quarterback play on a young, emotional wide receiver like Jeudy is a recipe for a degradation in skill and a winning mentality.
Jeudy is to blame as well. Throughout his career, Jeudy has gone to social media to call out critics, coaches, and even his teammates. As an All-American and star in college, it seems that Jeudy blames others before himself. It appears that Jeudy’s frustration has made him less passionate, as many analysts have pointed out his lack of effort in the past few years. After signing his fifth-year option this offseason, the Broncos were very close to trading Jeudy at the deadline due to his vocalized disgruntlement and lack of success. The Bronco’s five-game winning streak seems to have quieted those feelings, yet Jeudy’s usage hasn’t gone up.
After the messy loss to the Houston Texans, those feelings have shown their face again. This time, the head coach, Sean Payton, took Jeudy’s side, saying that Wilson was at fault for missing him. This could be a sign that Payton is ready to help the disgruntled wideout grow as a player in his offense. If so, Jeudy may finally have the breakout season the Broncos have been looking for.
Main Photo: [Kyle Terada] – USA Today Sports
