Broncos 2021 Roster Profile: KJ Hamler | WR
When the Denver Broncos double-dipped at wide receiver to open the 2020 draft, many scratched their heads. A wide receiver was expected in Round 1 when the Broncos took Jerry Jeudy, but the selection of KJ Hamler came as a bit of a shock.
In his short career so far, Hamler has become something of a hot topic for Broncos fans. Starting off his rookie year, he ended up dealing with a hamstring injury that lingered and really limited his playing time on the field.
Hamler didn't play Week 1 but saw almost 100 snaps in the following two games before barely playing in Week 4 after reinjuring that hamstring. His debut performance showed off plenty of potential but one of his best plays came as a blocker and showed off the fact he is not afraid to be physical despite his diminutive size.
Hamler's one constant issue, which plagued him in college, was his drops. After drafting Hamler, then-GM John Elway made the claim the Broncos were mostly 'focus' drops in college, which isn't entirely true.
Hamler had a 25% drop rate in college with maybe 10% (at most) due to a lapse in focus. Why? His smaller hands are going to lead to more drops than the average for wide receivers.
In his rookie season, Hamler's drop rate was just under 19%, so we did see improvement from his college number. But there needs to be more improvement there and with his size and the type of player he is, 12% is about the highest the Broncos can accept from him.
Hamler is very explosive with plenty of speed to be a threat but the team can't maximize that if he can't catch the ball. This year will be telling as to how much he can improve his hands and how much more effective that will make him.
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