There are certain guys that I really like but hate to see. KJ Hamler is one of those guys. I really liked watching him play as he was always dangerous with the ball in his hands, but I hated seeing him play against Iowa, because he absolutely terrified me. The Bears could use a slot receiver, and this draft is loaded with wide receivers so I wanted to take a look at his game against Michigan to see if he might be a good fit.
Have you ever wanted to see what I would look like as a defensive back at a major college program? Probably something like this.
The key here is Hamler’s acceleration, because it’s not just that he’s fast, but that he gets to that top speed incredibly quickly and leaves the Michigan defensive back in his dust.
With a speed guy, I always wonder how well he actually catches the football. That, unfortunately, is the issue with Hamler.
On the first view, I wasn’t sure if it was a drop or if one of the two Michigan defenders broke up the pass. By the end of the replay, it’s clear that this one is on Hamler. This was an issue that showed up repeatedly as he bobbled a lot of the catches he did make because he is always looking to corral the ball into his body instead of framing it with his hands. He’s probably played football for 10-15 years at this point, so I don’t see him adjusting this method, and it will drive coaches and fans crazy.
And that’s the big issue. He has great speed and acceleration, but I simply do not trust his hands. You also can’t expect much more than a shove as a blocker, but that isn’t the issue that is going to make or break things for a wide receiver. He can make big plays against any level of competition, but I don’t see how his technique can be trusted to consistently catch the ball, so unless he takes a massive fall down the draft boards, I don’t really see any point for the Bears to select him with one of their second round picks.
Previous Scouting Reports
1. Tua Tagavailoa - Alabama
2. Joe Burrow - LSU
3. Jordan Love - Utah State
4. Justin Herbert - Oregon
5. Nate Stanley - Iowa
6. Tristan Wirfs - Iowa
7. AJ Epenesa - Iowa
8. Geno Stone - Iowa
9. Michael Ojemudia - Iowa
10. Willie Gay - Mississippi State
11. KJ Hamler - Penn State
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