Under Pressure: The draft has DaeSean Hamilton feeling the heat

The Broncos have had a great offseason in 2020. They made some big moves in free agency, added star talent via trades and then crushed the 2020 NFL draft. Their roster has been upgraded by a wide margin just based on the elite-level talent that has been added this calendar year.

In this new series “Under Pressure,” I’ll look at some of the players who are most under pressure after the moves in free agency and the draft. The talent added to this roster is going to push some players – maybe even some fan favorites – off the roster.

Today, I’ll examine the situation surrounding Broncos wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton. Let’s see why he’s under pressure in 2020.

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Background

Hamilton was a four-year starter at Penn State and ended his college career as the Nittany Lions all-time leading receiver. I saw him at the Senior Bowl in 2018 and he put on an impressive showing mainly because of his route-running ability. Hamilton is known as a “big” slot receiver who wins with guile and savvy and not with speed and quickness. The Broncos added him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft in what was considered a solid move.

As a rookie, Hamilton didn’t do much until the last month of the regular season. He finished the year with 30 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns, but 25 of those catches came in the last four games. Hamilton did show great toughness as a rookie, playing through a knee injury he sustained in mid-November.

In his second season, Hamilton failed to build on the numbers from his rookie season. He finished 2019 with 28 catches for 297 yards and one touchdown. A hamstring injury slowed him down during training camp, and Hamilton had some key drops in big moments that perhaps caused him to lose confidence on the field. Overall, Hamilton didn’t look like he did over the last month of the season. However, he did finish the season strong (again) with 11 catches for 130 yards and one touchdown in the final two games.

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The Pressure

When the Broncos selected not one but two receivers in the first two rounds (and three receivers total in the draft), it was a clear sign that they wanted to upgrade the position. Add in the undrafted receiver they picked up after the draft, and you can see how the wide receiver position is going to be the most pressure-packed in training camp.

Jerry Jeudy from Alabama was the team’s first-round pick this year and he’s set to play as another No. 1 wide receiver for the Broncos opposite of Courtland Sutton. That was never going to be a spot where Hamilton would play. Instead, the team snared Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round to play slot receiver – the spot where Hamilton was playing for most of his Broncos career.

Broncos general manager John Elway had a lot of positive things to say about Hamler after the draft.

“Obviously with Hamler, he’s very, very explosive, really can run and has big play ability. A guy like as Vic would say, scares the heck out of defenses. Plus, he has the ability to run routes, he’s quick, he’s tough and again you can go back and say he is a great returner. We’ll have to go back and see how much he does return, but he does have that ability. He’s a tough guy for his size. He’s a guy that can really run and that’s why we’re excited about him,” Elway said.

While Hamilton is a “big” slot and lacks quickness and speed, Hamler’s game is all about electricity, quickness and elite-level speed. Hamler did not run the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine due to a hamstring injury, but if he would have he could have been the fastest receiver at the event. Hamler’s game couldn’t be more different from Hamilton – and much better. When the Broncos selected Hamler it meant disaster for Hamilton and lessens his chances of getting playing time or even make the roster.

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What He Needs to Do

Hamilton needs to show consistency as a receiver. Part of that comes from being better after the catch. As a big slot receiver, Hamilton needs to maximize his yards after the catch. In 2019, he was No. 85 in the NFL with an average of just 4.5 yards after the catch per reception. By comparison, rookie tight end Noah Fant had a RYAC/R rate almost twice as high at 8.3 yards.

While Hamler led the FBS with 12 drops last season, Hamilton will have to make sure that he doesn’t drop many if any passes in camp and the preseason. Last year, Hamilton ranked second on the Broncos with a drop percentage of 6.3 percent. In order to make the 53-man roster, Hamilton will have to be much more consistent when it comes to catching the ball.

Hamler is excited to play with Hamilton this season.

“I’ll be more comfortable going to an organization knowing I know somebody. He showed me the ropes as a freshman coming in at Penn State. I’ve always kept in touch with him. I’ve always looked up to him as a big brother, so actually getting to play with him at the best-of-the-best, seeing how he progressed from his redshirt freshman year to now. It’s going to be amazing,” Hamler said.

Only one of these Nittany Lions is guaranteed to make the final roster and that is Hamler. If Hamilton wants to make the Broncos roster as a No. 4 or No. 5 receiver, then he must be nearly flawless in his game, stop dropping passes at a high rate and stay healthy in camp.

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