Dynasty Prospect Scouting Report: Jerry Jeudy

By Jared Smola 9:03pm EST 3/3/20

Print

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

Height: 6’1
Weight: 193
Age: 20.9

Combine results:

(percentile rank among all WRs at the Combine since 1999, courtesy of mockdraftable.com):

40-yard dash: 4.45 seconds (71st)
Vertical: 35” (44th)
Broad: 120” (47th)
3-cone: n/a
20-yard shuttle: 4.53 seconds (3rd)

College career:

Jeudy was a 5-star prospect and a top-3 WR in the 2017 class according to most scouting services. He chose to play his college ball at Alabama over plenty of other big-name programs, including Clemson, Auburn, Miami, Florida State and Tennessee.

He didn’t light up the stat sheet as a true freshman. But that Alabama squad finished just 91st in passing yards per game. Jeudy’s 264 yards actually ranked 2nd behind only then-junior WR Calvin Ridley.

Ridley’s departure — plus the emergence of QB Tua Tagovailoa — resulted in a massive 2018 campaign from Jeudy. He ranked 10th in the nation in receiving yards and tied for 3rd in receiving scores. His 19.3 yards per catch was good for 4th among players with 40+ grabs. 23 of Jeudy’s 68 receptions (34%) went for 20+ yards.

The 2018 Crimson Tide finished 3rd nation-wide in passing yards and 1st in passing TDs. But Jeudy still posted solid market shares: 22.6% of the receptions, 27.1% of the yards and 26.9% of the TDs. And that came alongside a loaded group of pass-catchers, including fellow 2020 WR prospect Henry Ruggs, future NFL WRs Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith and 2019 second-round TE Irv Smith.

Jeudy was a consensus first team All-American and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wideout. All as a 19-year-old true sophomore.

His numbers took a step back this past season, due mostly to injuries that cost Tagovailoa 4 full games and parts of a couple more. Of course, ‘Bama still ranked 4th in the nation in passing yards and 3rd in TDs. And Jeudy still finished inside the top 25 in receptions, receiving yards and TDs.

It was Devonta Smith, though, who led the Tide in receiving yards and TDs. That’s certainly a ding to Jeudy’s profile. But note that Smith is a former 5-star recruit himself and figures to be a high pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Jeudy accounted for 26.8% of the Alabama’s receptions, 26.1% of the receiving yards and 20.4% of the receiving TDs in his 2019 junior campaign. Here’s how those market shares compare to Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, who’s battling Jeudy to be the 1st WR off the board in the NFL Draft and dynasty drafts:

A decisive victory for Lamb in terms of raw market shares.But context is important. Jeudy was battling at least 3 future NFL WRs for his numbers. Lamb’s competition wasn’t nearly as stiff.

I’d still give the 2019 production edge to Lamb — but the gap isn’t as big as the market share numbers suggest.

Film study:

Courtesy of @WhatsOnDraftNFL

Games watched - Clemson (2018), South Carolina, Mississippi, LSU, Michigan

Jeudy is a fun watch. His loose-legged agility and explosive burst out of cuts make him as good a route runner as we’ve seen coming out of college in recent memory.

Jeudy is especially proficient on comeback routes. He threatens DBs with his deep speed, stops on a dime and comes downhill to attack the ball.

He combines that route running with the quickness and technique to defeat press coverage.

Jeudy is also a weapon after the catch. He’ll show defenders a target and then take it away, leaving them tackling air.

And Jeudy has the pure speed to out-run angles.

I didn’t see many contested situations for Jeudy in the 5 games I watched, but Pro Football Focus charted him with a solid 10 receptions on 17 contested targets over the past 2 seasons.

What I did see was a strong pair of mitts. Jeudy is a confident hands catcher.

Jeudy lined up all over the field at Alabama and actually played the majority of his snaps (66%) in the slot. He seems capable of winning from any spot at the next level.

Fantasy potential:

Highly touted Alabama WRs have been good bets in dynasty rookie drafts lately. The last 3 Crimson Tide WRs to go in the 1st round of the NFL Draft were Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley.

Jeudy will be the next 1st-round Bama wideout. Ridley is a solid comparison as far as play style. Both guys are on the smaller side but win with speed, quickness and route running.

Ridley has opened his pro career with 20th- and 27th-place PPR finishes. Jeudy’s ceiling extends beyond that. He enters the league with bigger college production than Ridley and tested as a better athlete.

We're splitting hairs between Jeudy and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb atop the rookie WR rankings. Landing spot will determine which one deserves to come off the board 1st in both dynasty and redraft leagues.