Strong Reaction to Broncos' KJ Hamler Pick Pours in

The Broncos made a surprising selection, taking Penn State WR KJ Hamler in the second round after drafting Alabama's Jerry Jeudy on day one. The reactions in the media world were interesting.

Anyone paying attention to the Denver Broncos over the last three months was at least clued in to the possibility of GM John Elway double-dipping at the wide receiver position in the NFL Draft. After all, the worst-kept secret all offseason has been the Broncos' pursuit of WR talent to upgrade the position and build the nest around second-year QB Drew Lock. 

But despite several tempting options being on the board, when the Broncos' No. 46 overall pick rolled around in the second round, Elway pulled the trigger on another wideout, taking Penn State speedster KJ Hamler. 

Hamler is 5-foot-9 and 178 pounds and runs an unofficial 4.27 40-yard dash. The value he brings to the slot position could really help Lock take that quantum leap forward in year two. 

So far, the 2020 draft haul has seen Elway prioritize not only the offense, but a WR position that has been lackluster since the Broncos traded away Emmanuel Sanders mid-season. Courtland Sutton produced a Pro Bowl campaign in the wake of Sanders' departure, and did so catching passes from three different starting QBs, but late in the year, opposing defensive coordinators really schemed to take Sutton away. 

The Broncos were able to mostly roll with those punches, thanks to Lock being inserted as starter from Week 13 on. But if Lock, and by extension, the Broncos are going to continue to build on the momentum Lock's 4-1 finish provided, and compete with the offensive juggernaut that is the Kansas City Chiefs, that nest had to get built. 

Meanwhile, Elway's aggressiveness in focusing exclusively thus far on WR garnered some interesting reactions around the web. Here are the highlights. 

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Media Liking What it Sees

Whew Jeudy and Hamler and Sutton? Broncos got better

Hamler- the speedster, gadget player

Jeudy- crafty route runner

Sutton- all around big WR that can go up and get it

Well rounded WR corp

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) April 25, 2020

Courtland Sutton
Jerry Jeudy
KJ Hamler
Noah Fant
Phillip Lindsay

=======vs======

Tyreek Hill
Mecole Hartman
Sammy Watkins
Travis Kelce
Clyde Edwards-Helaire

GIVE US CHIEFS VS BRONCOS IN PRIMETIME PLEASE.

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) April 25, 2020

It's official. The #Broncos are my no. 2 AFC team. Hamler the 28th overall player on my board. Denver is LOADED with talent on offense

— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) April 25, 2020

Shock about KJ Hamler at first but my god he was probably the single most explosive player I watched in person this year.

Perhaps the single most splash player in the draft this year.

Talk about instant offense

Zoomies, baby. pic.twitter.com/UOccPWqdk1

— Nick Kendell 🏔 (@NickKendellMHH) April 25, 2020

Sutton.

Juedy.

Hamler.

Lindsay.

Fant.

Gordon.

No excuses.

— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) April 25, 2020

Broncos React

This about to get crazy 🔥@Kj_hamler

— Jerry Jeudy⁴ (@jerryjeudy) April 25, 2020

We’ve taken WR KJ Hamler from Penn State with the 46th overall pick. He’s an electric player with excellent speed and high character.

KJ’s also an outstanding kickoff and punt returner who can help us on special teams. pic.twitter.com/kPkbjuKg5w

— John Elway (@johnelway) April 25, 2020

😎

— Drew Lock (@DrewLock23) April 25, 2020

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.