CLEVELAND — Jerry Jeudy arrived in Cleveland this week after being traded by the Broncos, excited for the opportunity being on the Browns presents. A new home, a new team, and a new start to show the skillset that made him a first-round pick back in 2020—and that has yet to be fully tapped into.
In his four NFL seasons, Jeudy has played in 57 games, catching 211 passes for 3,053 yards and 11 touchdowns. It hasn't been the most productive start to an NFL career for a first-round pick, but there were plenty of factors involved as to why that might have been, including a carousel of quarterbacks and a long-stagnant offense.
"The past few years wasn’t exactly where I want to because different circumstances and stuff like that," Jeudy said.
After the Browns sent a fifth and sixth-round pick to Denver to acquire Jeudy, he now has the opportunity for what he calls a "fresh start." Just two days spent in Cleveland has the wide receiver hopeful for his new future.
"When I stepped in the building, just the energy and excitement that I received when I got there, that made me feel welcomed. I feel like it’s a fresh start," Jeudy said. "It’s going to be exciting just to be able to be somewhere new, especially having all the great guys on the team. So it’s just going to make things a lot more easier for me and just better.”
Joining guys like Amari Cooper, a fellow Alabama alumnus who he's watched and looked up to for years, and Elijah Moore, who he already has a past connection with, Jeudy sees himself fitting right in.
From college to entering the NFL, Jeudy has been known for his acceleration and route running. His skill set has been compared to Cooper's, and now that he's playing beside him, he hopes to add to his arsenal of offensive abilities.
"The thing I really watch about Coop is just his releases. How he manipulates defenders off the ball and stuff like that. That’s the biggest thing. Once you beat a guy off the ball, it just routes on air after. That’s mostly what I took from him," Jeudy said.
Having background knowledge of the Browns' other receivers, Jeudy sees himself fitting into the room well.
But what will he bring to complement the game of his teammates? Well, first things first, he said, is his versatility.
“I think I’m a guy that could play all three positions, all four positions on the field. The Y, the F, the Z, the X. And I feel like I’m a guy that just can make plays after the catch and just bring YAC [yards after catch] and big playmaking ability to the team," Jeudy explained. "And I feel like Cooper and Elijah do the same thing too because I’ve been watching the guys for a long time. I actually played with Elijah, seven on seven team. So it’s just going to be exciting just to be able to have three receivers that all could do the same thing, run after the catch, create separation. So it’s going to be exciting.”
Now a Cleveland Brown officially, Jeudy is excited to get to work to learn the offense, get acclimated with the team, and bond with players he'll soon call his brothers. His offseason training will continue and he said he's looking forward to his teammates connecting with him so they can get work in together.
After two years of showing interest in him, the Browns took a flier on Jeudy, looking to tap into his potential and allow him to showcase the player he has always been thought to be.—and that's exactly what Jeudy aims to do, too.
"Actually being here now, it shows that how much they really wanted me and how much expectations they have for me. It’s exciting for real," Jeudy said. “Me personally, my ceiling is very high. I have high expectations for myself. The past few years wasn’t exactly where I want to because different circumstances and stuff like that. I’m here and I’m where my feet at now and I’m a Browns and I’m just ready to be the best version of myself here than I ever was before."
