Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Preview | WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
Height: 6-foot 1
Weight: 192 lbs
Grade: Junior
School: Alabama
At every level in which he's played, receiver Jerry Jeudy has always been at or near the top of the best athletes on the field.
Jeudy, who grew up in Deerfield Beach, Florida, graduated as one of the highest-rated wide receiver prospects in the nation and top overall players in Florida, earning a five-star prospect rating by Rivals and the 247Composite.
He earned a second-team USA Today All-USA selection, and, as a high school senior, he caught 76 passes for 1,054 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016.
Having received numerous offers from major college programs, Jeudy chose Alabama over Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee.
At Alabama, Jeudy finished his three-year career with 159 receptions for 2,742 yards and 16 touchdowns, a 17.2 yards per catch average. Jeudyis a polished route-runner with absurd quicks and athleticism, but who doesn't have much experience against press coverage--per Pro Football Focus's 2020 Draft Guide, Jeudy only played against press coverage 22 times this year and fewer than 150 times in his career.
Why He’s a Fit
The Giants tried to replace Odell Beckham Jr's production and skill set, but with perhaps the exception of Darius Slayton, they came up short with their attempt.
For one, the Giants didn't have any receivers outside of Slayton able to separate with any consistency and generate large chunks of yardage after the catch (YAC).
Of the 2019 Giants receivers' total receiving yards last year, only 31.9% came after the catch. By contrast, in the time Beckham was a Giant, 36.4% of his receiving yardage total came after the catch.
With the Giants likely to work in more elements of the vertical passing game under new head coach Joe Judge, having a receiver who can separate is going to be huge. Jeudy can be that guy, as he's a receiver that runs solid routes and who has the speed and quickness to get by defenders,
