Broncos overhaul wide receiver position during first two rounds of 2020 NFL Draft

[Miles]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —The Broncos entered the 2020 NFL Draft with a glaring need at the wide receiver position.


They needed a true No. 2 receiver to play opposite Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton. They also needed a player who could stretch the field and take the top off the defense.


John Elway, Vic Fangio and Co. filled that first requirement on Thursday, when Jerry Jeudy fell to them at No. 15. The speed element, though, seemed like it would have to wait.


For later in the draft. For a free-agent addition. For, perhaps, a different draft.


But then the Broncos added KJ Hamler with the 46th-overall pick.


With cornerbacks like Trevon Diggs, Kristian Fulton and Jaylon Johnson all on the board, the Broncos opted for the Penn State receiver with reported 4.27-second 40-yard dash speed.


Will the addition of Jeudy and Hamler fix the Broncos' offensive woes that have pervaded the last several seasons? It's too soon to say. The value of the picks could take years to reveal itself, and it's only then that one can deem the selection of Jeudy over Lamb or Hamler over Denzel Mims to be the right moves.


It is possible, though, to say just hours after the Hamler pick that the Broncos have devoted every possible resource to upgrading the team's pass catchers. A year ago, Elway spent the 20th-overall pick on Noah Fant, who went on to have the best season of any rookie tight end.


The Broncos then dedicated their top two picks in 2020 to the position. And while Jeudy may be the home-run pick, it's the Hamler selection that truly shows the Broncos' desire to right an offense that hasn't been truly explosive since at least 2014.


"Obviously, with Hamler he's very, very explosive," Elway said Friday after the end of the third round. "[He] really can run and has big-play ability. A guy that, as Vic would say, scares the heck out of defenses. Plus, he's got the ability to run routes. He's quick, he's tough. And again, you go back and say he's a great returner. We'll have to see how much he does return, but he's got that ability. He's a tough guy for his size and so he's a guy that can really, really, really, really run — so that's why we're excited about him."


Hamler was exciting enough that even Fangio's friends pestered him ahead of the draft to select the 5-foot-9, 178-pound player.


"I'm from Pennsylvania and all my relatives are Penn State fans, and they've been bugging me to pick you for months," Fangio told Hamler on his introductory call with the receiver.


Hamler, who tallied 98 catches for 1,658 yards and 13 touchdowns during his two seasons playing for the Nittany Lions, is ready to prove he was a valuable addition.


"I think I bring to the table speed, quickness, play-making ability," Hamler said Friday. "I'm versatile. I can play outside, I can play in the slot and I can return kicks and punts. I'm a playmaker, and I've got a chip on my shoulder at all times. I've been an underdog my whole life, so being in this situation right now and being part of the Broncos' organization is amazing. I'm going to give them 150 percent, 24/7, 365, you know? That's me."