Preparing for his first season with the Denver Broncos, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater isn’t quite sure how to explain the route-running ability of teammate Jerry Jeudy.
“Jerry Jeudy, he scares me, man,” Bridgewater said on Thursday. “The way he’s in and out of breaks, he can’t have any ACLs or knees. …
“But that guy, the way he’s able to change directions, he makes all of his routes look the same. He’s doing a great job of attacking the ball when we throw it to him across the middle and making plays after the catch. He’s having fun. That’s what you love to see. That entire room, those guys, they feed off each other’s energy. Jerry makes a play, you see (wide receiver) Tim (Patrick) out there celebrating. If (wide receiver Courtland Sutton) makes a catch, you see (wide receiver) Kendall (Hinton) high-fiving, jumping up and having fun. When you can have camaraderie in a room, it’s contagious. Right now, you see Jerry making plays.”
Jeudy is preparing for his second NFL season after joining the Broncos from Alabama as the 16th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Jeudy caught 52 passes for 856 yards and three touchdowns last season – the second-most receptions and receiving yards for a rookie in Denver history. One of his catches gained 92 yards for the longest TD reception in the NFL in 2020.
Jeudy is aiming for a more productive season in 2021.
“I just really want to focus on being better than I was last year,” Jeudy said on Thursday. “Just improving each and every day during practice and just learning from my coaches. I have high expectations for myself, but I’m just excited to see how this year comes.”
Jeudy and the Broncos will take another step toward the 2021 season when they open their preseason schedule against the Minnesota Vikings at 3 p.m. CDT Saturday. NFL Network will televise the game.
Denver traveled to Minnesota this week to practice with the Vikings on Wednesday and Thursday.
“What I’ve enjoyed most was coming out here and competing with different faces and getting into it with some of the guys that I know for the Vikings,” Jeudy said. “Basically, that’s it — just coming out here and competing against somebody different.”
Bridgewater isn’t the only Denver player excited about what Jeudy might do for the Broncos in 2021, particularly after seeing his work against Minnesota this week.
“He has a mindset right now that he wants to be the greatest to ever do it,” Denver running back Melvin Gordon told reporters on Thursday after walking into Jeudy’s press conference as a “bodyguard.” “He comes out here every day and he showcases it. That’s why you guys are talking to him right now about the plays he’s making. He has grit, man. He has the mindset, the focus. He’s going to make it happen.
“He’s going to open a lot of people’s eyes. I said that before, and I’m going to continue to say it.”
While Jeudy is locked into a starting position with the Broncos and will use the preseason snaps that he’s allowed to play as a tune-up for the regular season, former Auburn wide receiver Seth Williams is trying to secure his spot on Denver’s regular-season roster with his performance over the next two weeks.
A prep standout at Paul Bryant in Cottondale, Williams joined the Broncos as a sixth-round selection in the NFL Draft on May 1 after catching 132 passes for 2,124 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons at Auburn.
“He’s progressing,” Denver coach Vic Fangio said of Williams on Thursday. “He’s a young guy, came from an offense in college that their passing game wasn’t too sophisticated. He’s adjusting to learning an NFL offense, going against NFL defenses and the various types of coverages, so it’s always an adjusting period for wideouts because it’s a different game in the backend. But he’s flashed his ability, but he’s still got a long way to go.”
Denver Broncos wide receiver Seth Williams (19) works at training camp on Aug. 3, 2021, in Englewood, Colo.AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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