Lock Sees Jeudy & Hamler as 'Two Peas in a Pod' as Broncos' Rookie WR Duo Builds 'Mojo'
When Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton was lost for the season in early September, the Denver Broncos' decision to select Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler back-to-back to open the 2020 NFL draft simply had to pay dividends.
In Atlanta this past Sunday, Jeudy stepped further into the national spotlight by posting his best statistical day thus far, grabbing seven passes for 125 yards and a savvy touchdown. That took his total on the year to 30 catches for 484 and two touchdowns. With a reasonable uptick, Jeudy could surpass the 1,000-yard milestone for his rookie campaign.
Much attention has rightly focused on the emerging ex-Alabama star but Jeudy's rookie partner in crime has also drawn attention with his increasingly improved play. In Week 9, Hamler posted his best day as a pro, snagging six receptions for 75 yards while also throwing in one rush for 15 yards. The duo combined for 215 of Denver's 405 total yards from scrimmage in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
On Wednesday, QB Drew Lock spoke about how his rookie receiving duo is now following the same trajectory of ascent, particularly now that Hamler is fully healthy and getting more involved in the Broncos' offense.
“They’re two peas in a pod for sure," Lock said. "KJ—as far as his confidence goes—I think it starts in practice again. If you think about that guy, he got hurt, he didn’t get to do a lot in training camp, he got hurt in the beginning of the year, comes into that Pittsburgh game ready to go, gets kind of banged up again—then he finally gets to start practicing and get some mojo behind him.”
It has been a fractured beginning to Hamler's NFL career, totaling only 17 catches for 190 yards so far. He did, however, make the difference in the Broncos' recent comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers by hauling in the walk-off touchdown.
Hamler’s recurring hamstring issues have been particularly damaging for a player famed for his game-breaking sub-4.3 speed back in his Penn State days. Getting back on the practice field and piling up vital reps has gone a long way toward building his confidence and rhythm.
“As a young guy, you like to have a little practice and a little confidence going into the game," Lock said of Hamler. "You want to catch a few balls and get things rolling—especially as a receiver. I think that’s just what we’re seeing from him right now. He’s always been the competitor that he is and I think we’re just going to see him open up more and more as the weeks go on.”
Hamler’s growing confidence will hopefully lead to a natural progression and his breakaway speed should increasingly be worked into the offense from a design standpoint. That explosiveness ostensibly allows offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to mix in more jet sweeps and gadget type plays into his game plan to exploit the perimeter.
Against the Falcons. Hamler saw some action on special teams and picked up that aforementioned 15-yard gain on an end-around, showcasing his famous fleet of foot. In recent weeks, pressure has been mounting on Shurmur to introduce a quicker-paced offense that can exploit the type of mismatches weapons like Hamler can provide.
Meanwhile, Lock is excited by Jeudy's momentum and expects the rookie to provide fireworks each week moving forward. The feeling is that the first-round wideout has unlocked that next level of play as a rookie.
“It’s right there, we’ve just got to get over the hump," Lock said of his growing chemistry with Jeudy. "It’s just the little things. We’ve got to just keep getting these reps in practice doing that and I think we’ll end up hitting it. I’m excited about the way Jerry played last week. He keeps getting better every single week and I know he’s going to bring it this week again.”
Following Sunday's loss to the Falcons, Lock let slip that Shurmur is "going to take a second look" at Jeudy, whatever that might mean. On the outside looking in, the inference is that Jeudy wasn't an initial focus of Shurmur's to open the year, and likely the same holds true for Hamler, who was himself nagged by that hamstring. Maybe it should come as no surprise, considering that both are rookies.
It stands to reason, though, that with the Broncos sitting at 3-5, and with the team's playoff hopes fading, the embattled coordinator doesn't have much to lose if he finally opts to go all-in on the considerable talents of both Hamler and Jeudy. Broncos Country's next chance to see how it plays out will be this coming Sunday in the team's first trip to Sin City to take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
