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Broncos stick with receiver and grab speedster KJ Hamler

AP Pro Football Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 9 months AGO
by AP Pro Football Writer
| April 24, 2020 6:27 PM

John Elway stuck with the deep pool of wide receivers in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night, selecting Penn State speedster K.J. Hamler with the 46th pick.

Elway has gone all-in on second-year quarterback Drew Lock by giving him two terrific targets after the first two rounds of the draft. He chose Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy a day earlier with the 15th overall selection.

Elway has three picks in Round 3, and his other priority is beefing up his O-line to protect Lock, something he started with the free agent signing of Graham Glasgow.

Hamler, who is generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, is elusive with an uncommon burst of speed.

Hamler modeled his game after DeSean Jackson and Steve Smith, but the Broncos see him as a Tyreek Hill-type playmaker who can also serve as Denver’s kick returner and help the Broncos chase down Hill and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the AFC West.

Even though he’s undersized, Hamler stood out even in a class of wide receivers like none other.

“I’m a dog,” Hamler said at the NFL scouting combine. “That’s just point blank, period. You don’t find a lot of people my size, doing some things that I do. Me personally, my playmaking ability, my dog mentality just stands out.”

On Friday night, Hamler said he was surprised when Elway called, but he said he was eager to team up with Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and former college teammate DaeSean Hamilton in Denver, where he expects to quickly make his mark.

“I’ve been an underdog my whole life. I’ve always had something to prove just because of my size,” Hamler said. “I had to develop in other areas to help out. So, my dog mentality, I do that on and off the field. I don’t take nothing from nobody. I don’t back down from nobody. It’s like a David and Goliath story. I’m the smallest guy with the smallest frame, but I’ll give you everything I’ve got.”

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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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