Jerry Jeudy Gave Emmanuel Sanders Tips During Offseason Rendezvous

Emmanuel Sanders keeps a home in the Mile High City and when he saw last month that Denver Broncos’ rookie wideout Jerry Jeudy was close by, he hit up the first-round pick and quickly coordinated a workout session. 

As a 11th-year veteran, one might assume that it the student/teacher authority posture leaned Sanders’ way, and in some sense, I’m sure that it did. But there was a reason Sanders reached out to Jeudy — and not the other way around. 

Now with the New Orleans Saints, Sanders wanted to pick Jeudy’s brain about route-running and see how the prolific rookie wideout approached his game. Jeudy, naturally, took the opportunity to ask of Sanders whatever questions he had, but it seemed the flow of knowledge was going from the rookie and toward the vet. 

For a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, the implications of that are stunning. Through nine training camp practices, Jeudy appears to be the genuine article and that’s something Sanders recognized long before the rookie’s cleats hit the grass at UC Health Training Center. 

Following Monday’s practice, Jeudy revealed how he and Sanders came to workout that day in a Denver-area park and what went down. 

“He just [messaged me] and said he wanted to come workout with me,” Jeudy said following practice. “He sent me his location and I went over there and worked out. He was picking little details of my game and seeing how I run routes and things like that. I was learning a little bit from him as well. It was more of a, ‘What are you doing? Let’s go workout,’ type of thing really.”

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From the sounds of it, what advice Jeudy sought from Sanders had more to do with getting a feel for the lay of the land in Denver and tips on acclimating to life as a Bronco. 

“He said it’s really a nice city,” Jeudy said. “Really laid back, but also, playing for Denver is big. You have to compete and work hard each and every day.”

It’s unsurprising that Sanders would want a meeting of the minds with Jeudy, especially in light of the compliments the rookie has earned from Broncos’ veterans at camp. A.J. Bouye, Kareem Jackson, and others, have profusely complimented Jeudy by saying that going against him has made them better defensive backs. Bouye is in Year 8, while Jackson, like Sanders, is in Year 11. 

The fact that he’s helping tenured vets and earning their respect is humbling for Jeudy to contemplate. Throwing in accomplished NFL wideouts who have sought him out for tips and advice on his proficiency as a route runner only adds to the gravity. 

“It means a lot. It’s saying that I’m doing something right,” Jeudy said. “Having a veteran that’s been in the league four, five six, eight, 10 years asking me how I do certain things is really exciting because I’m trying to be in the same spot they’re in and they’re asking me tips from my game. It’s exciting and I’m very humbled.”

Sanders told Jeudy, as can be seen in the hype video above, that big things are on the horizon for the rookie and the Broncos’ offense with Drew Lock entering Year 2. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing ya’ll boys play,” Sanders said to Jeudy. “In his [Drew Lock’s] second year, if he do what he did last year, it’s gonna be special.” 

It’s early but all indications point toward Jeudy being the real deal. Throw out the traditional rookie learning curve and the fact that Courtland Sutton is already established as a top-10 wideout in the league. 

My bet is that Jeudy will break with convention and produce at a very high level for the Broncos even as a rookie. If you’re looking for over/under bets, when it comes to the oddsmakers’ predictions for Jeudy, I’d take the over. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHudde.