Jerry Jeudy’s best trait translates to the NFL immediately

DENVER — Social distancing hasn’t been a problem for Jerry Jeudy. Not just for the past month, but for the past few years. On the football field, that is.

The Broncos’ newest wide receiver has constantly been six-plus feet away from opposing defenders the past two seasons down in Tuscaloosa. Even though Denver is significantly more populated than his former college town, finding open grass on the field shouldn’t be an issue for Jeudy at the next level.

“I feel like I’m the best wide receiver because I’ve got the ability to separate,” Jeudy told the Denver media shortly after being selected with the 15th-overall pick on Thursday night. “You need to find a way to get open and I feel like that’s the best thing I can do. As a receiver, find a way to get open and catch the ball.”

In the NFL, creating a yard –or maybe even two — of separation will get the job done every single time. That’s child’s play in Jeudy’s eyes.

“I feel like if I’m getting open and creating five, six yards of separation every time, that’ll mean more yards after the catch,” the 6-foot-1 receiver said. “I feel like if I create that separation, I get 10-12 more yards, which is good for being one of the top route runners.”

That would be fantastic, Jerry.

In the past two years with the Crimson Tide, Jeudy averaged an incredible 72.5 receptions for 1,239 yards and 12 touchdowns. Because he’s already a polished route running and a master at separating, Jeudy doesn’t believe he’ll be slowed down by the transition to the next level.

In fact, he expected to be drafted higher than the 15th-overall pick, just as many draft gurus did as well. Another reason he can hit the ground running next to, or opposite, Courtland Sutton he because he can play anywhere on the field.

“I know how to get open,” Jeudy said, explaining why he can play inside or outside receiver.

Additionally, in his final season at Alabama, Jeudy spent the entire year playing under offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. The two years before re-joining the Tide, Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons and an all-time great Alabama receiver Julio Jones.

In his one season under Sarkisian, Jeudy was able to learn NFL concepts, NFL routes and certain aspects of NFL playbooks.

“[That] played a big part in me being able to already run certain routes that once I go into the league that I’m going to be running,” Jeudy explained. “I feel like he helped me a lot with that.”

In that same year, Jeudy began to master how to recognize defensive coverages, an aspect he credits to his game taking a big leap.

“Once I started recognizing coverages and reading coverages better, I feel like I started playing a lot faster,” he said with confidence. “I know what the defense wants me to do and what they don’t want me to do. So me knowing that as a receiver, I can manipulate the defense… I know how to manipulate a defense to help me get open.”

Getting open is a key part of a receiver’s job description. Jerry Jeudy’s game is built entirely on getting open. And he plans to hit the ground running — open, by the way — in Denver in 2020.