Stokley: Rookie WR Hamilton could play ‘big role’ for Broncos in 2018
Jun 25, 2018, 5:51 PM
In a list released on Monday, ESPN.com Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold named rookie wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton as Denver’s biggest offseason surprise.
Legwold, in his assessment, said Hamilton should “play plenty” for the Broncos in his first NFL year, alongside fellow rookie, and offseason darling among the Denver media, Courtland Sutton.
“Hamilton just might have been the most proficient route runner in the draft. He showed that in the team’s on-field work this summer. He was physical, was strong to the ball and showed consistently reliable hands — and his routes were spot on,” Legwold said in the piece.
Championing the same sentiment, “Stokley and Zach” host Brandon Stokley called Legwold’s description “spot on,” saying the Penn State product would “play a big role this season” for the Broncos.
“He’s a guy who’s going to move the chains and do some of the dirty work and just help this offense stay on the football field more,” Stokley said.
Stokley, however, said Hamilton doesn’t have the “explosiveness” like Sutton, whom he called a player that can “flat-out change the game in an instant.”
“When you talk about making big plays down the football field, 50-50 balls, balls that don’t look like they’re going to be complete and next thing you know it’s a 50-yard gain or it’s a 70-yard touchdown,” Stokley said. “That’s what Courtland Sutton can bring to the table.”
But, Hamilton will be the “more consistent player,” Stokley said, earning the trust of his coaches and teammates.
“You need to have the trust of your quarterback, the trust of your offensive coordinator, the trust of your head coach to put you out there and you’re going to be where you’re supposed to be. And a lot of rookies, they don’t have that,” Stokley said. “It’s hard early on in your rookie season to get that trust from those people.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
