Jerry Jeudy was one of numerous exciting rookie wide receivers in the NFL this year, coming from a stacked Alabama football offense. Jeudy was the second of six first-round wide receivers selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, going 15th overall to the Denver Broncos.
On the year, Jeudy caught 52 passes for 856 yards and three touchdowns in the Denver Broncos’ young offense. Denver finished 5-11 in the tough AFC West, a year which featured a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and two to the rival Kansas City Chiefs. Jeudy had the chance to see both of these Super Bowl teams right up front.
The former Crimson Tide star joined us for a quick Q&A earlier this week. We touched on the transition from college to the NFL, playing in the Alabama offense with four future NFL wide receivers, Steve Sarkisian’s move to Texas, and of course, Sunday’s big game.
Jeudy joined us courtesy of Old Spice. He recently posted a “This or That Challenge” video on TikTok, revealing his Super Bowl LV pick, his favorite game day snack, and how he’s getting ready for Sunday’s game.
(This Q&A with Jerry Jeudy has been edited for clarity.)
@jeudyjerry##SponsoredObviously TD! Keeping it cool or strutting your moves? Show me with @RealOldSpiceWeSwear ##ThisOrThatSBLV Challenge 😎 ##SmellReadyForAnything♬ It’s Tricky – Run-DMC
The Spun: Coming off your rookie season, what is your biggest individual goal for the offseason?
Jerry Jeudy: I want to get my hands stronger and my legs stronger. That’s my biggest goal.
The Spun: Was there a big difference in getting off the line and handling defensive pressure between college and your first NFL season?
Jeudy: Getting off the line…I don’t feel like I had a problem getting off the jam. I would say they’re more patient and hands on in the league than they were in college, but getting off the jam, it wasn’t that hard for me.
The Spun: What was the biggest difference between playing at the college and NFL levels after your first season with the Broncos?
Jeudy: The biggest difference is really the defensive scheme. The safety could be up at the line of scrimmage or all the way back in Cover 2, so just knowing the defenses’ tendencies was the biggest difference.
The Spun: You were part of a loaded 2020 class of wide receivers, and 2021 looks like it will be similar. What is it about the current college game that is allowing guys at your position to thrive right when they reach the league?
Jeudy: I feel like the mindset really. You want to go out with the right mindset, knowing you can play with these guys, so I feel like people in my class came in with the right mindset knowing at end of day this is football. We’ve been playing this game our whole life. Just keep doing what we’ve been doing our whole life and play the game.
The Spun: Last year, you played on an offense with four likely first-round picks at WR, with you, Henry Ruggs, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith. Some programs would probably struggle to keep that many playmakers engaged. What is it about Nick Saban and Alabama program that allows so many star players to buy into the system?
Jeudy: By putting us in the right position just trusting the process. Once you trust the process and just let everything fall where it lands and just go with the flow and. Either it’s your time or it’s not.
The Spun: You had the chance to play with Mac Jones down the stretch last year after Tua Tagovailoa went out. Did you think he was capable of putting together one of the best seasons in Alabama history?
Jeudy: Yes, I knew Mac Jones good when he threw for 500 yards in a spring game with walk-ons at receiver.
The Spun: That’s fair. Have you had a chance to talk to him at all about his draft process?
Jeudy: He hit me up the other day trying to play Madden, but other than that I’m just trying to let him handle his draft process.
The Spun: When you play Madden, do you play with Broncos or do you go with another squad?
Jeudy: I usually go random.
The Spun: Steve Sarkisian was your offensive coordinator at Alabama last year. What was your reaction to him taking over at Texas? Do you think Alabama players are happy he was able to get that shot?
Jeudy: “Definitely. Coming off of the year he just had, the expectations will be very high, but I just wish the best for him.”
The Spun: Your quarterback Drew Lock had an up-and-down 2020 season. Do you think he’s the guy for the Broncos moving forward?
Jeudy: I feel like he’s a great quarterback. There’s some games where you’re going to play bad in, and some games were my fault. There’s some stuff that he has to improve on, there’s stuff that everyone has to improve on, but the only way is forward, so we’ll see how he progresses.
The Spun: You played the Buccaneers early this season, and had two division games against the Chiefs. Who do you think takes home the Super Bowl on Sunday?
Jeudy: That was a tough decision to make. Tom Brady in the Super Bowl is clutch every time. Patrick Mahomes it’s a new generation. Tom Brady’s my boy, but I’m going to have to go with Pat Mahomes.
The Spun: What was the experience like playing the Chiefs this year, coming off of their Super Bowl. What was it like in the locker room getting prepared for those games?
Jeudy: You know everybody was focused, locked in. We knew what we were getting into, we were playing a great, great team. So we just made sure we were on our game, but it didn’t go like we wanted it to.
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You can check out Jerry Jeudy on TikTok @jerryjeudy.
The post Q&A With Jerry Jeudy: Adjusting To The NFL, Playing With 4 Star Receivers At Alabama, Facing The Chiefs, And His Super Bowl Pick appeared first on The Spun.
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