Is DaeSean Hamilton in danger of losing his spot on the Broncos roster?

The Broncos have done a good job of assembling young talent at the wide receiver position. They have made moves in the draft and even after the draft in college free agency to add receivers that could develop into a strong corps in the future.

In the 2018 NFL Draft, Denver added what could be their duo of the future at the wide receiver position when they selected Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. Sutton was a second-round pick last year, while the Broncos were able to land Hamilton in the fourth round. Even with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the roster at the time, the team made a move to add young, quality receivers to eventually take over.

Sutton is doing a good job as the No. 1 receiver for the Broncos in training camp and in 2019, he should take over from Sanders as the lead target. However, Hamilton has been injured in camp and is not going to play in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday due to a hamstring injury.

In the meantime, receivers on the depth chart behind Hamilton have been making a positive impression. While he sits, others shine.

Is Hamilton in danger of losing ground on the depth chart? Let’s take a look.

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Nuanced Player

Coming out of Penn State in 2018, Hamilton was well known (and well liked) in the scouting community. Hamilton showed skills that most young receivers merely don’t possess when they come into the league.

While not the biggest or the fastest receiver, Hamilton finished his college career as the all-time leading receiver for the Nittany Lions because he is nuanced as a route runner. Most receivers coming into the league don’t know how to properly set up routes or gain the best separation at the stem of the route. Hamilton was a near perfectionist when it came to learning how to properly run routes as a collegian.

He is a quick player who can change direction in the blink of an eye. Hamilton does not tip off which way he is heading on a route due to fantastic body control and he can get separation against the tightest coverage. Add in his strong hands and good concentration, and one can easily see why Hamilton is an intriguing prospect with a solid foundation to be an impact player in the pros.

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Injury Bug

Hamilton has talent as a receiver, but has also been bit by the injury bug as a pro. This hamstring injury that he is battling now “could be” minor according to Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. The team is wisely being cautious with Hamilton as he returns from this injury as hamstring injuries can linger if not given enough time to properly heal.

It’s an unfortunate injury for a young player who is currently the No. 3 receiver on the Broncos depth chart behind Sanders and Sutton. The injury bug just didn’t bite Hamilton this year in training camp, but also last year during his rookie season.

In late-October 2018, Hamilton suffered a sprained MCL in a win over the Cardinals. He missed two games because of the injury, but Hamilton did return later in the season and was thrust into a larger role when Sanders was lost for the season due to an Achilles’ injury. However, even with that larger role, Hamilton did not impress. During the last four games of the 2018 season, Hamilton only averaged 7.3 yards per catch.

He did admit this offseason that the knee injury lingered and prevented him from playing up to his potential. I give Hamilton a lot of credit for playing through the injury last year, but he clearly wasn’t the same player we saw early in his rookie season.

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Watch Out for Winfree

While Hamilton didn’t have much behind him last year on the depth chart, that is simply not the case this season. His main competition for the No. 3 wide receiver job might be rookie Juwann Winfree. While Hamilton has been missing time, Winfree continues to be one of the most reliable receivers for the Broncos in training camp.

Denver moved up in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft to select Winfree out of the University of Colorado. He didn’t put up big stats for the Buffs (28 catches, 324 yards, two touchdowns in 2018), but he was slowed down by a high-ankle sprain in his final season up in Boulder. Healthy now, Winfree is taking his dynamic skill set to the field and making difficult grabs seem routine.

While Hamilton is more of a technician as a route runner, Winfree is much more freakish as an athlete which gets him open regularly. Winfree goes all out to make a catch and he can sky to get passes “above the rim” when facing defenders who are close. In fact, Winfree has great “my ball” mentality and will go down low to scoop up passes before they hit the turf.

Winfree has been playing with the savvy of a veteran out at training camp. He seems quite prepared every day, and is consistent with his energy and effort on the football field. There are some in the scouting community who feel the Broncos may have gotten a “Phillip Lindsay-like” value when they drafted Winfree. That’s incredibly high praise, but the upside is there for Winfree to be an impact starter for the Broncos if he stays healthy and hits his ceiling as a pro.

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Summary

The league waits for no man, no matter how talented that player may be. Hamilton knows how to get open and has great hands, but he also has been slowed down by injuries as a pro. He’s not a player like Winfree who can excel with great athleticism, but instead Hamilton needs every ounce of his athleticism to make his skills as a route runner work at the most effectiveness.

We are going to see the Broncos in their first of five preseason games this week and we are not going to see Hamilton play. Meanwhile, Winfree should get plenty of playing time as starters like Sanders and Sutton are held out of action (no snaps for Sanders and few if any for Sutton).

If Winfree continues to impress while Hamilton sits, it only makes the competition more interesting. Nobody knows when exactly Hamilton is going to return to the field for the Broncos, but with Winfree making plays every day in practice, he needs to get back out there ASAP.

Follow @CecilLammey