The Broncos and Jerry Jeudy have a deal. The first-round wide receiver will ink his four-year, $15.192MM deal soon, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The deal includes an $8.61MM signing bonus, of which 71% will be paid upfront.
[RELATED: Latest On Broncos, Justin Simmons]
Most of this year’s draft pick signings have come later than usual, in one giant burst. There was little doubt that Jeudy and the rest of this year’s 250+ player crop would eventually sign, but teams have been nervous about the current financial climate and the prospect of laying out millions of dollars early on. The first-round picks, in particular, have dragged, due to their larger signing bonuses.
Teammate Henry Ruggs came off the board before Jeudy, going No. 12 to the Raiders. At No. 15, the Broncos got the Alabama star that many evaluators actually preferred. Jeudy doesn’t have Ruggs’ speed, but he has the size to outstretch cornerbacks on the outside and tremendous route-running ability. The 6’1″ receiver averaged 72 catches for 1,239 yards and 12 touchdowns over his final two years on campus, and he could also see some time in the slot. In Denver, he’ll team with Courtland Sutton – mostly on the opposite side, while second-round pick KJ Hamler handles the slot.
The Broncos have also agreed to terms with rookies Lloyd Cushenberry, Justin Strnad, Tyrie Cleveland, and Netane Muti, meaning that there’s not much paperwork left for their 2020 class.
Which first round receiver will post the most yards this season?
Lamb will have plenty of opportunities in an explosive offense that will force defenders to cover both Cooper and Gallup as well. Although, as a tertiary option, he may not put up terrific volume stats.
Jeudy will start immediately opposite Sutton, who should take away the top cover corner. However, Lock is definitely weaker than the other signal callers in this list, so it remains to be seen how much of an impact Jeudy can make.
Ruggs has terrific downfield speed, but I question if the Raiders can take advantage. I’ve always thought Carr was a bit underrated, but he’s more if an intermediate passer than deep ball chucker. Besides, Oakland has a ton of mouths to feed (Waller, Williams, Renfrow, Bowden, Edwards, Witten) and I’m afraid he might lose some opportunities.
Reagor could emerge as Wentz’s favorite wideout if Jeffery and Jackson can’t stay healthy. That said, Carson will primarily target his talented tight end duo and Reagor will need to stand out in training camp amidst a wide field of competition. Hopefully he isn’t as disappointing as Arcega-Whiteside.
Jefferson will have some big shoes to fill by replacing Stefon Diggs. He doesn’t have the explosiveness of the now Buffalo Bill, but possesses some excellent physical traits. On the other hand, he’ll be forced to deal with team’s primary cover corner and Kubiak may prefer to run a ball control-oriented attack
Finally, there’s Aiyuk. Without Deebo Samuel, Aiyuk will have the chance to emerge as Jimmy’s wideout of choice. San Francisco has great depth, but not too many proven options. Once again though, he’ll have to deal with elite cornerbacks, as only Kittle will truly attract special attention.
I believe Lamb will end up leading the pack, as he jumps into an explosive offense with high volume stats and a talented quarterback. He also plays in the slot, so he won’t need to win one-on-one outside matchups. That’s just my lousy opinion; what do you guys think?
Jefferson won’t get the primary corner in Minnesota.
Adam Thielen will. Missed 6 games and still had 6 TDs. If he’s healthy he’s the one that will draw a teams best corner.
I meant outside corner, but I guess I should’ve specified. Thielen will probably get doubled in the slot, but Minnesota lacks viable receiving depth outside of him
Lamb of course