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Jeremiah Mocks Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy to Broncos at Pick 15
Mel Kiper mocked Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs III to the Denver Broncos in his debut mock draft of the 2020 offseason. But with Daniel Jeremiah tendering his first mock, and selecting a different Crimson Tide wideout for the Broncos, a trend has been established.
NFL.com's leading draft analyst had this to say about mocking Jerry Jeudy to the Broncos at pick 15.
"Jeudy would give the Broncos one of the most exciting collections of young skill-position players in the league. Adding him to a group that already includes Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant and Phillip Lindsay would strike fear into opposing defensive coordinators."
Considering the Broncos' roster needs and the offseason buzz from insiders pointing to speed-demon wideouts in the first round, it's understandable why the national draftniks are have connected Ruggs and Jeudy to Denver in round one. But it might not be that simple.
Keep in mind, John Elway has never drafted an Alabama player. Sure, he's brought in a few free agents who hailed from 'Bama but the Broncos' front-office czar has a philosophical stance when it comes to the Crimson Tide, likely due to how hard Nick Saban works these prospects in college.
The fear being that by the time they get to the NFL, their prime years are curtailed and the tread on their tires is worn thin. I'm not sure how much veracity there is to such an opinion, as we see 'Bama players do very well at the NFL level.
If we were talking about O-line, D-line, running backs or linebackers, I could understand Elway wanting to shy away for fear of wear and tear. But receivers and cornerbacks shouldn't be viewed with the same myopic scope. Nevertheless, since we're talking Broncos, it is an obstacle any former 'Bama prospect would have to overcome.
The other issue is, who else was on the board when Jeremiah selected Jeudy at pick 15? I'll tell you; South Carolina D-line behemoth Javon Kinlaw, Iowa edge A.J. Epenesa, LSU corner Kristian Fulton, 'Bama corner Trevon Diggs and even TCU corner Jeff Gladney, as well as USC OT Austin Jackson and multiple other wideouts, including CU's Laviska Shenault. An argument can be made for about half of those guys being a reach at 15 but certainly not Kinlaw.
Mock drafts are fun. Heck, MHH pumps them out like mad from January to May. It's always interesting to see how the' draft stock of these prospects' ebbs and flows and how some of the national draftniks who are most plugged into NFL scouting departments are seeing the board fall.
But, at the end of the day, it's a mock draft. Jeudy would absolutely be a dynamic complement to Sutton and if he ended up as the Broncos' first-round pick a few months from now, I wouldn't exactly shed a tear. But if it meant passing on a top-10 caliber prospect like Kinlaw, that would poison the well for me just a bit.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
