PFF Chooses Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy as Top 2022 Breakout Candidate
If you ask Broncos Country their opinion about Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, you’ll likely get a multitude of answers and opinions. Some consider the No. 15 overall selection in the 2020 draft as highly overrated with an overactive and impulsive social media account.
Others feel that the 23-year-old was somewhat of a fish out of water during his first two seasons with suspect quarterback play from the likes of Drew Lock, Brett Rypien, Jeff Driskel, and Teddy Bridgewater.
Mix in the domestic violence arrest from last month (which was ultimately dismissed) with Jeudy’s lack of consistency in his first two seasons, and the optics don’t look great. But shouldn’t the slate be wiped clean now that nine-time Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson has the reins of the Broncos’ offense?
Pro Football Focus thinks so.
“Jeudy has been on the precipice of a breakout for seemingly his entire career,” wrote PFF’s Michael Renner on Tuesday.
“Between the quarterback play in Denver and a litany of injuries, we still haven’t gotten to see Jeudy make that leap. With Russell Wilson now throwing him the ball, that looks primed to change.”
Renner has worked for PFF since 2012 and has served as the lead draft analyst since 2019. He carefully ranked the 10 biggest breakout candidates from the 2020 class, explaining that year three for players can be a big leap year, and cited last season’s year three success players: Deebo Samuel (49ers), Jonah Williams (Bengals), Maxx Crosby (Raiders), and Rashan Gary (Packers).
The 6-foot-1, 193-pound receiver from Alabama has played in 26 career games for the Broncos and has logged 90 receptions for 1,323 yards and three touchdowns. While Jeudy averaged 12.3 yards per catch last season, he failed to score a touchdown in former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s inept offense. Jeudy did, however, clean up his drops from 10 in his rookie season to just one in 2021.
PFF also revealed, “Even without Wilson last year and dealing with an ankle injury for most of the season, Jeudy still averaged 1.85 yards per route — a figure better than five different 1,000-yard receivers in 2021.”
Rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett was brought in from Green Bay to lead Wilson’s presumptive high-scoring offense. Of course, there needs to be an aggressive rushing attack led by sophomore running back Javonte Williams and the offensive line, but at the end of the day, Wilson was brought to Denver to air it out and score touchdowns via the passing game.
Pair that with Hackett’s diverse offense and energetic approach, and Jeudy should be a dangerous playmaker at Wilson’s disposal.
Renner explained that there could be instant chemistry with Wilson as Jeudy’s “skill set and route-running ability are very similar to the man who caught more passes from Wilson than anyone else: Doug Baldwin.”
“After lining up primarily on the outside as a rookie, Jeudy went back to his college roots in the slot in 2021, where Baldwin also primarily operated over the course of his career. That’s a role that Wilson is obviously very comfortable pumping targets toward.”
Baldwin was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017. Hopefully, at the end of the 2022 season, Broncos Country can say the same for Jeudy.
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