Jerry Jeudy Talks Broncos Trade: 'I Was a Way Better Player Than They Used Me As'

Jerry Jeudy was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos but things never quite came together in his four seasons with the team, and he was traded this offseason to the Cleveland Browns.

On Monday, he spoke about his inability to live up to his first-round talent in Denver.

"My rookie year, I had a few drops. That was the biggest thing," he told ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "But the years after that, I feel like I wasn't getting that many opportunities to showcase my talent with all these different OCs and different schemes and stuff like that. So I couldn't really show my abilities and show my route-running skills. It just wasn't a fit for me."

"It just wasn't working over there," he added. "I felt like I was a way better player than they used me as. I wanted to go somewhere that would use me, see my full potential and take advantage of it."

Jeudy's best season for the Broncos came in 2022, when he set career highs in receptions (67), receiving yards (972) and touchdowns (six). Those were solid numbers, but not the level of production that is expected from a first-round selection.

Since the Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills in mid-October, however—and since the struggling Deshaun Watson was lost for the season just days later due to a ruptured Achilles—Jeudy has thrived in Cleveland, registering 24 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown in his past four games.

That sort of production, stretched out over a full 17-game season, would equate to 102 receptions for 1,610 yards and four scores. It's what was expected of Jeudy in Denver, but he has found more of a home in Cleveland.

"As a receiver, to get in a groove, you've got to consistently get the ball," he told Oyefusi. "The last couple weeks, they've been giving me opportunities. ... Now that I'm getting opportunities, I'm getting into a groove and a rhythm. Now, it's only up from here."