SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 07: Jerry Jeudy #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates his first quarter touchdown reception against the Clemson Tigers the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Drew Lock showed flashes of brilliance for the Broncos as a rookie. Denver believes adding Jerry Jeudy to the offense could help him break out in 2020.
It took the Broncos a while to hand Drew Lock the keys to their offense in 2019, but once they did, he helped them win four out of their last five games down the stretch. Now the team’s front office is looking to set him up for success in 2020.
The best way they can help Lock take a step forward in his sophomore campaign is to upgrade the offensive weaponry available to him. That’s precisely why the Broncos are looking to trade up from the No. 15 spot in this year’s draft. The target of the franchise’s affections is former Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
The team believes they’ll need to move up into the top 10 to make sure they are in a position to select the talented wide receiver. He, along side collegiate teammate Henry Ruggs III and former Oklahoma star CeeDee Lamb form the trio widely considered to be the top-tier of receivers in this year’s draft class.
Jeudy is a particularly good fit for the Broncos because of how well his skill set would compliment Courtland Sutton’s style of play on the other boundary. Sutton excels in running deep routes that help threaten the opposing secondary in the final third. Jeudy has big play ability too, but he uses his elite route running skills to torment opposing defensive backs.
That makes him an ideal fit to help the Denver offense succeed with their short and intermediate pass plays. Providing Lock a top-notch wide receiver who can help keep the chains moving is crucial for the Broncos success in 2020. Jeudy might not have the highest ceiling in this year’s wide receiver class, but it’s hard to envision him being anything less than an above average starter relatively early in his NFL career.
The question the Broncos must answer is just how much they favor Jeudy over the wideout options they might have if they stay put at the No. 15 pick. The cost of moving up that far in Round 1 is going to be high. Denver might be better served to exercise patience and see what receivers might fall to their current spot in the first round.
No one can blame them for being aggressive though. Helping Lock succeed should be the franchise’s top priority. If they believe Jeudy is a cut above the rest of the receivers that will be available to them in the top half of the first round then they should make a bold move to move up and grab him. It’s hard for the Broncos to put a price on making sure their young, franchise quarterback succeeds.