KJ Hamler has Realized it Takes More Than Speed to Win at NFL Level
The Denver Broncos' rookie wideout KJ Hamler has started to work his way into the offense in recent weeks. Hamler caught the game-winner in Week 8, capping off Denver's wild comeback win against the Los Angeles Chargers and quickly followed that up with a career-best outing at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.
On Tuesday, the rookie receiver talked about his focus on becoming a more physical player who can climb to an elite level. Hamler also revealed that he has been digging into the body of work left behind by ex-Panthers and Ravens wideout Steve Smith as a blueprint for success.
“That’s one thing I’m learning about the league—there’s more contested catches,” Hamler explained. “The elite guys have to do that. I watch Steve Smith a lot to see how he did it. We’re kind of the same frame, but he’s a little heavier than I am. He made a lot of those.”
The 21-year-old Hamler has already displayed some considerable maturity to cope with losing almost the entirety of training camp with a hamstring injury and valuable regular-season game snaps. Coming out of Penn State, it was always his sub-4.3-speed that had piqued the interest of NFL scouts, so much so that Broncos' GM John Elway grabbed him in the second round despite already spending his first-rounder on Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy.
The Broncos' faith in the Michigan-born pass-catcher is now being rewarded by a player who is not only starting to produce but is also demonstrating that he is fully aware that he can’t just rely on the speed to win at the NFL level. It takes route-running and, as his idol displayed all those years in Carolina, a physical constitution able to win contested catches.
“I’m not always going to have 10 yards of separation from a guy like I used to in college,” Hamler conceded. “I can still do it, but it’s going to be more contested catches and the tough catches that you have to make to help the team. I just have to go play hard 24/7.”
That kind of willingness to adapt to the increased speed and football IQ of NFL defensive backs has seen Hamler’s influence grow over the Broncos' last two outings, when has been targeted 10 times in each game. His own confidence is growing to such an extent that he gave his best impression of his role model Smith when giving the low-down on the Miami Dolphins' highly-ranked defense.
“They are real physical, particularly at the line of scrimmage, I think the whole secondary is good, but you know it’s going to be a fight. We just got to execute, there is nothing else to say,” Hamler said.
Hamler’s version of the Smith-type swag was on full display when he talked about the need to mix it up a bit more this week vs. the physical Dolphins.
"It’s a match-up game, man coverage, physical. I think they are a little bit grabby,” Hamler said. “So, we've just got to execute—there is no other discussion, we just got execute and keep up the energy up from the first quarter to the fourth and put points on the board.”
The Broncos desperately need to show a lot more fight than they did in their blowout loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The vital spark provided by the Broncos' rookie might well serve to motivate the entire squad.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
