Few fantasy players are more polarizing than Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. The 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, expectations were high that Jeudy’s college success at Alabama would translate to the Broncos offense. Unfortunately for him (and those who drafted him) it hasn’t worked out that way.
In four seasons with the Broncos he never had a 1,000-yard season and finished three seasons with fewer than 55 receptions and three or fewer touchdowns. Those numbers are what you would expect from a No. 3 receiver in an NFL offense, not a WR1. The closest he ever came to putting up numbers worthy of being in weekly lineup consideration was in 2022 when he caught 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns.
Denver’s disenchantment with Jeudy’s lack of high-end production ended this spring when the Broncos traded him to the Browns for a pair of late-round draft picks. Reviews on the trade are mixed. While he hasn’t proved he can be a star receiver in the NFL, Cleveland gave him a three-year, $58 million extension following the trade.
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Jeudy comes to an offense loaded with skill position talent with running backs Nick Chubb (knee) and Jerome Ford, wide receivers Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore and tight end David Njoku. That represents a lot of competition for passes and the biggest issue surrounds the wheelman of the offense, quarterback Deshaun Watson.
One of the most electrifying quarterbacks in the league when he was in Houston, Watson missed all of the 2021 season with legal issues and hasn’t lived up to his massive contract with the Browns (five years, $230 million fully guaranteed). In two seasons in Cleveland, Watson has played in just 12 games, averaging 185 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. When evaluating any receiver, his quarterback has to factor into the equation, and there are many more questions than answers with Watson heading into Year 3 of his Cleveland deal.
Fantasy football outlook
Too many red flags pop up in the marriage between Jeudy and the Browns. Jeudy has been a career disappointment, and he’s coming into an offense that boasts considerable competition for targets. The biggest concern is building a rapport with Watson, which won’t come as easily as it might seem.
In November, Watson had surgery to repair a fractured right shoulder socket, which can be a career-ending injury for a quarterback. The Browns coaching and medical staffs are going to take their time bringing Watson back, which hurts Jeudy more than the other receivers that Watson has already worked with and developed timing. Getting meaningful reps between a quarterback and receivers is critical to success, and Jeudy isn’t going to get enough of that until the regular season begins, which should drop his value markedly.
At best, Jeudy is a WR5 in a 12-manager league because of the questions surrounding his arrival to Cleveland. Anywhere before No. 5 is taking too big a gamble. However, at WR5 the risk is minimized and if he washes out there wasn’t a significant investment made. Judy has been a disappointment thus far in his career, but he still has the talent to turn things around. By the time WR5 types are coming off the board, the potential reward will finally meet up with the risk.