Peter King Gushes on Broncos' 2020 Draft Haul, Reveals how Elway Divined KJ Hamler's 40-Time
The 2020 NFL Draft has officially come and gone. With it, the anticipation and speculation leading up to the draft have been replaced by retrospective analysis as everyone scours over each team’s draft haul and decides who ‘won’ or ‘lost’.
All of this is done before these drafted rookies even take the field for their new teams. Monday morning quarterbacking isn’t just reserved for critiquing a game after-the-fact.
Speaking of Monday Morning Quarterback, a famous column once popularized by NFL analyst Peter King (now with NBC Sports), King had some very kind words to say about John Elway and the Denver Broncos’ 2020 draft haul and overall direction of the organization.
New Denver wide receiver Jerry Jeudy appeared on the Broncos’ virtual Bud Light Draft Party on Thursday night. It was his last night before turning 21, so if the virtual party had been real, Jeudy would not have been able to partake. Cool factoid, and here’s the reason for it: It’s amazing what John Elway has done to transform the Denver offense in the last two years. It’s gone from somnambulant to must-see . . . and I have no idea how it’ll turn out. I just know I’m very interested to watch the Broncos now.
Check out the additions Elway has made to the offense since the 2018 draft, along with current ages: Wideouts Courtland Sutton (24), DaeSean Hamilton (25), Jeudy (21), K.J. Hamler (20); running backs Phillip Lindsay (25) and Melvin Gordon (27); tight end Noah Fant (22); and quarterback Drew Lock (23). Is Lock the luckiest young quarterback in football or what?
King is 100% correct in the assessment. The Broncos were in dire need for offensive playmakers and speed entering the draft. The lack of speed is something that I personally have been harping on over the last two seasons in Denver.
While Courtland Sutton is emerging as a fantastic X receiver for the offense, and Noah Fant is as fast in the open field as any tight end in football, the Broncos still lacked enough overall explosive ability in their receiving weapons that could force defenses into compromised positions on the field and neuter Denver’s big-play ability on offense.
Elway scrutinized the 2020 class looking for speed and what he and his scouts divined on Hamler, despite him not running the 40-yard dash at the Combine or at a pro day (canceled), completely sold them on the firecracker wideout.
The NFL didn’t have a reliable 40 time on Hamler prior to the draft. Once teams scouted him, it became almost needless, because there were multiple plays that showed him outrunning the fastest players on Big Ten defenses weekly. “He had a 100-yard kick return against Michigan,” Elway said, “and so we just figured we’d time him [in a 40-yard interval] on that play. We timed him at 3.93 in the 40, but of course he had a running start. He just has a different speed than anyone else. This has become such a speed game. Watch Kansas City. We love Courtland, we love Jeudy. Get Hamler in the slot against quarters coverage, releasing upfield at 4.3 or 4.32 speed, and that’s going to put a lot of pressure on the safeties, I know that.”
Now that is speed.
Elway not only answered this call on the first day of the draft, but did so repeatedly throughout the draft as well drafting high potential explosive playmakers early and often when the Broncos were on the clock.
The Broncos’ offense is now extremely young across the board, meaning there will likely be some ups and downs over the season as the young players try to figure out the NFL game and how they can best utilize their skill sets to win on Sundays, but the upside is tremendous. Outside of the offensive tackle position, which is undoubtedly exceedingly concerning, the Broncos offense has any many exciting pieces since the record setting offense of 2013.
Most of the Broncos’ current and future success will rely on Lock and if he can be ‘the guy’. Outside of the OT situation, Lock has little reason to fail going forward other than he himself simply wasn’t good enough to become the franchise quarterback the city of Denver so desperately craves.
He has every physical and mental tool to give Denver their first young quarterback worth excitement since… Jay Cutler? However, whether Lock is the answer remains to be seen and cannot be determined via his limited five-game sample size.
The way Elway has transformed the Broncos’ offense over the last two seasons deserves praise. There are still some concerns on the roster such as the questions in regards to youth and upside on a rapidly aging defense as well as, again, that pesky OT situation.
Either way, the Broncos added speed, weapons, and made choices that scream they believe in their quarterback. Whether this process works or backfires on Elway remains to be seen, but either way the Broncos are going to be as fun to watch as they've been in years.
King is right, the Broncos are going to be a very intriguing team to follow in the 2020 season. Let’s hope the interest will be warranted.
Follow Nick on Twitter @NickKendellMHH and @MileHighHuddle.
