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GREEN BAY, Wis. – In its latest mock draft, Pro Football Focus had the Green Bay Packers selecting the same inside linebacker we’ve taken in both of our mocks.

In the second round, PFF selected Penn State receiver K.J. Hamler. As a 5-foot-9, 176-pound redshirt sophomore, Hamler was honorable-mention all-Big Ten as a receiver and returner. He caught 56 passes for 904 yards (16.1 average) with eight touchdowns and averaged 21.4 yards per kickoff return and 5.5 yards per punt return. He averaged 18.0 yards per catch and 26.2 yards per kickoff return in 2018. He had a catch of 20-plus yards in 15 of his final 16 career games. In 2019, he had 17 catches of 20 or more yards, eight catches of 30-plus yards, five catches of 40-plus yards and three catches of 50-plus yards.

Video: LaFleur on receivers

Hamler’s father started training his son at age 4. As noted in Sports Illustrated: Little KJ maneuvered among cones in the backyard, climbed up hills down the street and even ran with a parachute attached to him, his mother says. KJ was an avid lacrosse player, ran track and tried basketball. The latter didn’t work. “He was too fast,” says mom Latonya Hamler, “he always double-dribbled because he out ran the ball.” He is supremely confident in his speed, as shown late in a game against Appalachian State in 2018. With the Nittany Lions staring at a major upset loss, he defied the coaches, took a kickoff out of the end zone and returned it 52 yards. “I was very tired of taking a knee,” Hamler told the school newspaper. “I kept asking coach, ‘Can I take it out? Can I take it out?’ He just told me to follow the rules. I respected his decision, but when it came down to it, and I saw two minutes on the clock, I just took it out. I didn’t follow the rules.”

With that speed comes a nickname. “We always call him the ‘Human Joystick.’ He laughs. It’s kind of funny — but I think it fits,” fellow receiver Brandon Polk told Centre Daily.

It should be noted the Packers have a long history of not drafting short receivers. In 15 drafts dating to the start of Ted Thompson's tenure, the only receiver drafted by the Packers that was shorter than 5-foot-11 was Randall Cobb, at 5-foot-10 1/4. 

For the full mock, CLICK HERE.

Bill’s second seven-round mock

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