Penn State WR KJ Hamler does best to prepare for NFL Draft

Among the initiatives taken by the NFL at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic was eliminating in-house visits by draft prospects.

That decision, coupled by most college programs canceling their pro day workouts because of the outbreak, has limited the opportunities for players to impress scouts and coaches heading into the April 23-25 NFL Draft.

Evaluators will have to rely on tape from the college season and whatever testing took place last month at the NFL Combine.

The latter is another strike against Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler. Because of a hamstring injury he suffered while working out prior to the combine, he was unable to do any of the agility drills in Indianapolis, including the 40-yard dash.

The 5-foot-9, 178-pound slot receiver planned to run at Penn State’s pro day. With its cancellation, Hamler will have to rely on the highlights produced during two seasons in the Big Ten as his resume.

Hamler is considered by draft analysts as a borderline first-round pick. The lack of offseason workouts could hurt his stock, which already had some holes.

“He had an alarming number of drops in 2019 and the routes are ragged, but his athleticism and separation burst on all three levels helps mitigate those concerns,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his evaluation of Hamler. “He’s a smallish slot who isn’t built for tough yardage and could have durability concerns if he’s run into too many collisions.”

Hamler, who claimed he ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash in pre-combine testing, admits those drops — he counted eight last season — could drop him into the second round, where the Pittsburgh Steelers hold the No. 49 pick.

But that eye-opening speed and an innate ability to separate from defensive backs could be too intriguing for teams to ignore.

“You don’t see a lot of guys my size making plays,” Hamler said last month in Indianapolis. “I’m not your typical receiver, 6-5, 230 pounds. But I can prove in other areas with my speed, quickness, hands and elusiveness. I think those are advantages.”

Hamler declared for the draft after his redshirt sophomore season. He caught 42 passes for 754 yards and five touchdowns in 2018, and then increased those numbers to 56 receptions, 904 yards and eight scores last season. He also doubled as a punt and kickoff returner.

Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, the top cornerback in his class and a potential top-five pick, said Hamler has “ultimate speed, ultimate quickness.”

Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr. called Hamler the most difficult matchup he faced last season.

“He’s super fast. He’s a dude.”

Hamler patterns his game after DeSean Jackson, a 5-10, 175-pound receiver and former second-round pick who completed his 12th NFL season in 2019.

“Small stature, (but) he’s a deep threat,” Hamler said. “He can do everything on the field.”

Until his hamstring injury, Hamler worked on his concentration in hope of showing talent evaluators the passes he dropped in college won’t carry over into the NFL.

“Lack of focusing is a problem,” he said. “Mainly focusing on the ball, securing it through the tuck because the ball is the most important thing on the field.”

That could put Hamler at a disadvantage in a wide receiver class that is considered the deepest position group in the draft.

“There’s no guys slacking in this class,” Hamler said. “I came out because I’m not afraid of competition. … I just wanted to prove to myself and to everybody else than I can be in this league and that I can play in this league for a long time.”