{"id":1319632,"date":"2020-04-26T12:03:16","date_gmt":"2020-04-26T18:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=995969"},"modified":"2020-04-26T12:03:16","modified_gmt":"2020-04-26T18:03:16","slug":"denver-broncos-build-around-drew-lock-in-the-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/denver-broncos-build-around-drew-lock-in-the-nfl-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver Broncos build around Drew Lock in the NFL draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/AP20116026129119.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/AP20116026129119.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/AP20116026129119-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/AP20116026129119-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>FILE &#8211; In this Oct. 19, 2019, file photo, Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler (1) scores after catching a pass from quarterback Sean Clifford during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan in State College, Pa. Hamler was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the NFL football draft Friday, April 24, 2020.<\/strong><br \/><em>AP Photo\/Gene J. Puskar, File<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>John Elway pledged to give Drew Lock more weapons and better protection in an NFL draft teeming with wide receivers and offensive linemen.<\/p>\n<p>He delivered.<\/p>\n<p>The Denver Broncos general manager provided Lock with two terrific targets and added an athletic center through the first two nights of the draft.<\/p>\n<p>Elway selected Penn State speedster KJ Hamler with the 46th pick in the second round Friday night, 24 hours after using the 15th overall pick on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/c0454f215eac7f5fad2f5f417d818885\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alabama standout Jerry Jeudy<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>, the highest Denver has ever selected a wide receiver in the common draft era.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row gspi-donation gspi-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the third round, Elway added protection for his second-year QB by drafting LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry, who was named first-team All-SEC in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Elway didn\u2019t neglect his defense, either, selecting Iowa cornerback Michael Ojemudia and Arkansas D-tackle McTelvin Agim in the third round.<\/p>\n<p>Elway has five more picks Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Ojemudia will help fill the void left by the departure of Chris Harris Jr. to the Chargers this offseason, and Agim solidifies a refurbished defensive line that includes trade acquisition Jurrell Casey.<\/p>\n<p>The jewel of Day 2 for Denver, though, was Hamler, who provides a jolt to the Broncos\u2019 offense and special teams.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I bring to the table speed, quickness, playmaking ability,\u201d Hamler said. \u201cI\u2019m versatile, I can play outside and I can play in the slot. I can return kicks and punts. I\u2019m a playmaker.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hamler, who is generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, is elusive with an uncommon burst of speed and has modeled his game after DeSean Jackson and Steve Smith.<\/p>\n<p>The Broncos see him as a Tyreek Hill-type playmaker who can also serve as Denver\u2019s kick returner and help the Broncos chase down Hill and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the AFC West.<\/p>\n<p>Hamler wasn\u2019t sure if Elway told him he\u2019d also return kicks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really couldn\u2019t hear him just because my family was yelling and we were all crying,\u201d Hamler said. \u201cSo it was kind of hard to hear him, but I hope he has that in mind. I would love to return kicks and punts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Broncos\u2019 once-formidable offense has been stuck in neutral for five years and last season Denver averaged a meager 17.6 points a game, 28th in the NFL, as their playoff drought reached four seasons.<\/p>\n<p>A tweaked hamstring before the NFL scouting combine prevented Hamler from challenging John Ross\u2019s record of 4.22 seconds set at the 2017 combine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t say I think I was going to break the record, but I was going to be in the equation,\u201d Hamler said. \u201cI was going to be in the conversation \u2014 4.2 was the only thing on my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said his hamstring is fine now: \u201cI\u2019m fully healthy. I\u2019m fully recovered. I\u2019ve been running real good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even though he\u2019s undersized, Hamler stood out even in a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/ab275a58573bf3186a0348dad8619545\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">class of wide receivers like none other.<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Hamler said he was surprised when Elway picked him after spending his first pick on Jeudy, 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m the smallest guy with the smallest frame,\u201d Hamler said, \u201cbut I\u2019ll give you everything I\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ojemudia said facing the likes of Jeudy, Hamler, Sutton and tight end Noah Fant in his first training camp will microwave his NFL education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, that\u2019s going to be big,\u201d Ojemudia said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be harder than the games sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coach Vic Fangio expects Cushenberry to compete for the starting job along with Austin Schlottmann and Patrick Morris.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s got license to go in there and compete and win the job if he can,\u201d Fangio said.<\/p>\n<p>Elway said Cushenberry could also play guard.<\/p>\n<p>Fangio said the draft has been seamless so far with teams having to conduct it via videoconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe haven\u2019t had any problems communicating with the unusual setup for this draft,\u201d Fangio said. \u201cI think John\u2019s done a great job orchestrating. We had some guys we wanted today and we had chances to go up and get them and John decided to sit and they ended up being the right choices both times.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, we saved draft picks and we got the guys we wanted. I think that comes with experience doing the job. So, I just get out of the way when it comes to that point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/denver-broncos-build-around-drew-lock-in-the-nfl-draft\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FILE &#8211; In this Oct. 19, 2019, file photo, Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler (1) scores after catching a pass from quarterback Sean Clifford during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan in State College, Pa. Hamler was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the NFL [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1319632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-04 00:55:27","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319632\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}