'Great Guy to Be Around': Jerry Jeudy Realizes Benefit of New Broncos QB Russell Wilson

For his first two NFL years, Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy suffered under the yoke of quarterback play that varied from borderline mediocre to downright terrible. Rock bottom for Jeudy came in 2021 when he finished an injury-marred season with exactly zero touchdown receptions, averaging a nondescript 46.7 yards per game.

Holding court with reporters earlier this week, Jeudy was succinct but forthright in acknowledging the boom-or-bust 2022 campaign before him. The once-Alabama star, who's dwindled to irrelevancy in Denver, has personal goals that he's decided to keep hushed, goals that assumingly align with Chad Johnson's monster statistical outlook.

Goals that he knows are now possible, thanks to the arrival of Super Bowl 48 champion Russell Wilson.

“He could help me a lot," Jeudy said on May 4. "He’s a great quarterback—a Hall of Fame [caliber] quarterback that came to the offense as a leader. [He’s] getting me better as well. He’s going to help me a lot this year.”

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There's really nowhere to go but up for Jeudy, who's corralled 90 of 169 targets for 1,323 yards and three TDs across 26 games in a Broncos uniform. Entering year three, though, the pressure is on to perform like a former No. 15 overall pick.

Because his draft pedigree is far from justified in the eyes of fans, some of whom criticized Jeudy for missing Wilson's inaugural Broncos passing camp, held in late March at Wilson's California residence. Seemingly every other Denver pass-catcher attended the event except for Jeudy — though he had a good excuse.

"Around that time, I had a daughter. So I wasn't able to make it. Had other things going on," he said. "But a couple of weeks later, I made it [to Wilson's second throwing camp]."

While seeing consistent looks in a stacked offense may prove difficult, there's no WR on the Broncos' roster — not Courtland Sutton nor Tim Patrick or KJ Hamler — who does what Jeudy can relative to route-running and footwork. Nobody else possesses a comparable ceiling, potential that begs to be unlocked.

Wilson is the key.

Nay, for a 23-year-old who's struggled with drop issues and attitude concerns, Wilson is everything.

"[He’s] always uplifting guys and always motivating guys to go out there and keep working hard," Jeudy said. "On the off days when you don’t feel like working or doing anything, he’s the guy that comes up [to you] and gets your mind right for it. That’s a great guy to be around.”

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