If there is one thing that Amari Cooper has taught us, it's that Alabama has a knack for producing out of this world level talent at the wide receiver position.
Whether it's Cooper, Julio Jones, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, or Calvin Ridley, the receiver talent from Alabama runs deep.
Another name to add to that list is Jerry Jeudy, the Browns new big name addition. Jeudy was traded to the Browns on March 9 for a 2024 5th and 6th round pick.
Early Beginnings
Jeudy was born in Deerfield Beach, Florida on April 24, 1999. He played high school football at Deerfield Beach High School, .
As a senior, he racked up 76 catches for 1,054 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was a five star recruit and the 3rd ranked wide receiver in his class. Jeudy would commit to play football under Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide on July 28, 2016.
Alabama
Jeudy chose to enroll early at Alabama, participating in the 2017 spring game. As a true freshman, Jeudy pulled in 14 catches for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama also won the College Football Playoff National Championship that year.
As a sophomore, Jeudy had 68 catches for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns, winning the Fred Biletnikoff award for the best wide receiver in the country, as well as being named to the first team All-American team. His 14 touchdowns also led the SEC conference.
However, the season would be marked as a disappointment, as the Tide would get trampled by the Trevor Lawrence led Clemson Tigers 44-16 in the CFP National Championship.
Entering his junior year, Jeudy was the favorite to repeat as the Biletnikoff award winner. He was considered to be one of the Heisman front runners and one of the best returning players in the country.
A season ending injury to starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa would hurt Jeudy's numbers on the year however, and the Tide would fail to make the CFP, settling for a victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl.
On the year, Jeudy caught 77 passes for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns. He would eventually decide to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, foregoing his senior season.
NFL Career
Jeudy would be drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 15th overall pick, making him the 2nd receiver taken off the board following his Alabama teammate Henry Ruggs. He would struggle in his rookie year, tying for the 2nd most drops in the entire NFL with a 44% catch rate.
In his 2nd season, despite being hindered by an injury that kept him out for the first third of the season, Jeudy would improve, catching 38 passes for 467 yards, while also improving his catch rate to 67.9%.
In year three, Jeudy would have his best season to date with 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns. However, once again he struggled with holding on to the ball, maintaining a catching rate of 67%.
His fourth season came with some off the field drama, including a highly publicized feud with former Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith Sr., after Smith criticized Jeudy's play. After Smith attempted to make amends, Jeudy swore at him and rejected his apology. All the while, trade rumors that included his name were rampant.
Jeudy also had issues on the gridiron, finishing the season with 758 yards and only two touchdowns, all while maintaining a 62% catching rate.
Despite his struggles last season, there is optimism Jeudy has finally found a home in Cleveland. There is also a strong belief amongst those in the front office that him, Amari Cooper, and Elijah Moore will create an extremely deadly receiving core which will help Deshaun Watson get back into form.
Jeudy has always had admiration for Cooper, even admitting to modeling his game after him. This level of familiarity will certainly help the chemistry on offense.
While he has had issues with catching the ball his first few seasons in the NFL, Jeudy's speed, route running, and physical tools will inevitably lead to a very successful career, and he could be the last missing piece on offense that takes the Browns to the promise land.
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