Yes, it’s early in training camp, but all indications are Jerry Jeudy is exactly what the Broncos hoped he would be.
Jeudy inexplicably fell to Denver with the No. 15 pick even though many regarded him as the best college receiver in this year’s NFL Draft. Jeudy has it all; he’s fast, shifty, possesses great hands and is the best route-runner of all the rookie receivers.
But, how did he become an elite route-runner?
“My first year playing football, I wasn’t that good,” Jeudy explained. “I watched a lot of YouTube videos, a lot of highlights and I played with one of best receivers in the NFL right now in [Falcons WR] Calvin Ridley in high school. Having him around in high school helped me become a better wide receiver, too. Learning from him, he taught me a lot of things also.”
Now, before he’s even played a game in the NFL, veteran receivers are even reaching out to ask for his advice. In fact, former Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders learned a thing or two from Jeudy this summer.
“He sent me his location and I went over there and worked out,” the rookie explained. “He was picking little details of my game and seeing how I run routes and things like that. I was learning a little bit from him as well.”
Picking up pointers from Sanders undoubtedly benefitted his game, and in the first nine days of training camp Jeudy has balled out. He went up and made a catch in traffic on Monday, and during Sunday’s practice, Drew Lock uncorked a bomb to him which Justin Simmons tried to knock away but the rook pinned the ball to his helmet for a touchdown.
Basically, Jeudy has impressed all who have seen him in Dove Valley every day. But, the receiver likes what he sees out of quarterback Drew Lock in terms of leadership.
“Drew Lock helped a lot during the offseason,” Jeudy said of his quarterback. “We’ll step out and he’ll throw some routes to some of the guys. He’s a great leader. He’s a guy that leads by example. Not really talkative—he’ll talk when he needs to. When he talks, everybody listens.”
“That’s the type of guy that you need on your team—that does everything by their actions,” Jeudy finished on Lock.
Those sentiments were echoed recently by veteran running back Melvin Gordon, too.
“Like I said, he’s a competitive person and I like that,” Gordon explained. “I like that in a quarterback. I like a guy that’s going to put it all out there on the line for you, and I feel like on game day, he’s going to give us that. You like to be led by guys like that.”
As for Lock’s play, he was only so-so on Sunday, but he bounced back on Monday, which should be expected from a second-year quarterback learning his second offense at the NFL level.
“He’s a great player. He is dropping dimes,” cornerback Bryce Callahan said of Lock on Monday. “I am excited to see him out there.”
Callahan will be extremely important to the Broncos successes on defense as the starting corner opposite of A.J. Bouye, and the veteran DB has also been impressed with the young quarterback.
Lock is certainly bringing excitement to Broncos Country, and with good reason. The franchise has been quarterback-hungry since 2015, starting six different quarterbacks before landing on Lock late last year. In his limited starts, the Broncos went 4-1 to finish the 2019 season and many are excited by his big arm, mobility and energy both on the field and the sidelines.
