Broncos' Rookie KJ Hamler Models his Game After Two Perennial Pro Bowl Wideouts

The Denver Broncos surprised a few people by drafting Penn State speedster KJ Hamler with the No. 46 overall pick in the second round. After taking Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy in the first round, the expectation was that Denver would go with an offensive tackle or cornerback in round two.

Secretly, however, the Broncos were pining for Hamler to fall to them. Head Coach Vic Fangio pounded the table for the diminutive wideout because of what the coach discovered breaking down his film leading up to the draft. Fangio was convinced Hamler's speed would help put the finishing touches on revamping and upgrading the Broncos' offense into a bonafide pick-your-poison conundrum for opposing defenses.

Turn on any of Hamler's tape at Penn State and his speed jumps out quickly. But he's more than just a straight-line burner. As well as he can take the top off the defense with that vertical speed, Hamler can also make defenders miss in the open field with his twitchy short-area explosiveness.

Long-time fans of the NFL might be reminded of a veteran pro wideout when watching Hamler's film. If the name DeSean Jackson comes to mind, there's a reason why.

“[Eagles WR] DeSean Jackson is the main guy I play like," Hamler said the night he was drafted. "I’ve been hearing that since I was younger. He’s my favorite player. Him and [former NFL WR] Steve Smith are the people I look up to."

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What is it about Jackson and Smith that Hamler tries to emulate?

"From a play-making ability, from taking a slant 60 yards for a touchdown and stuff like that, I think me and DeSean are very similar," Hamler said. "DeSean Jackson is my favorite player.”

One trait Hamler shares with both Jackson and Smith is size. Jackson checks in at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds while Smith measured just 5-foot-9, 195 during his playing career.

Neither could be considered big-bodied wideouts but when measuring their heart, it would break the scales. At 5-foot-9 and 176 pounds himself, Hamler finds ways to use his unique physical traits to his advantage, like his mentors, and plays with a lot heart.

Smith always played bigger than his size from a physicality perspective but both he and Jackson could do things with the ball in their hands that made it difficult for defenders to track and bring them down.

Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowler and is still playing, while Smith boasted five nods for the NFL's all-star game. If Hamler's career trajectory comes even close to the accomplishments of either of his idols, it'll mean the Broncos struck gold with their 2020 second-round pick.

Suddenly, Broncos' OC Pat Shurmur has gone from the cupboards being quite barren at the skill positions to having a smorgasbord of options to utilize. I'm sure I speak for us all when I say that I'm really looking forward to seeing how Shurmur deploys his new weapons for second-year QB Drew Lock.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.