Day two of the NFL 2020 Draft is officially in the books and, for the Denver Broncos, it was another successful day of drafting.
Before the draft, there was a lot of talk as to whether Denver would opt for the sheer route running ability of Jerry Jeudy, the blistering pace of Henry Ruggs III or the all-rounder in Ceedee Lamb.
Obviously on night one the option of Ruggs was taken before Denver were on the clock and as such, they opted for Jerry Jeudy, whom many analysts see as the best receiver in the class.
Last night, in the second round, John Elway went and drafted another receiver in KJ Hamler -adding the option of sheer raw speed to a now pretty stacked Denver offence.
He’ll line up mostly in the slot for Denver, just as he did at Penn State. His electric speed makes him a massive deep threat and is one of the things that makes him a brilliant runner after the catch.
His sheer speed off the line is incredible too, meaning against press coverage he can be pretty dominant. He’s also a brilliant returner – so I’d expect him to take quite a few of the reps on special teams this year.
Man coverage for Hamler is not going to work as he can leave any defensive back in his dust. He has the ability to make some seriously explosive plays with his speed and agility. He could be a very decent addition to this Denver offence.
Taking off the rose tinted glasses for a second, there are a few drawbacks to Hamler too. He’s very small for an NFL receiver. At Just 5’9″ and 178lbs he’ll struggle to to be effective in any contested catches.
His height does allow him to be more agile though, which translates into his run after catch ability. The way he can drop the shoulder and beat the coverage with a jinking run is a sight to behold.
Another concern for the Broncos coaching staff is that Hamler drops the ball quite a lot, meaning his hands are either too small or just too weak. The Broncos will just be hoping he can make up for that with his explosive plays down the field.
In reality, KJ Hamler is the guy you take if you Jalen Raegor didn’t fall to you – which is exactly the case. Personally, I think Hamler has the ability to become a very, very good receiver in the NFL – but the Broncos need to use him right.
He has the ability line up wide too, but give that Denver have Jeudy and Sutton I’d expect him to be used mostly in the slot at Denver. His electric pace and explosiveness make him a very interesting pick, and one I think could be a hit with the Mile High faithful.
In Denver, the offence is coming together very nicely. The additions of Hamler and Jeudy give young QB Drew Lock two new weapons. With Courtland Sutton already there, Noah Fant at tight end as well as Philip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon out of the backfield – Denver are looking pretty stacked this year on offence.
The Broncos also added center Lloyd Cushenberry III in the third round to give Drew Lock a little more protection. So far, the Denver offence is coming together quite nicely. Who will they add on day three?
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