Playmaker Hamler concentrates on focus
Penn State product wants to prove he can thrive in NFL
INDIANAPOLIS — KJ Hamler doesn’t have to prove to NFL coaches and general managers he is a playmaker. He was all that and more for two seasons at Penn State — a lightweight slot receiver who made heavyweight plays.
Nonetheless, at a measured 5 feet 9, 178 pounds, he wants to prove at the NFL Scouting Combine he is tougher and more aggressive than his size might otherwise indicate. And, oh yeah, one other thing.
“You guys are about to see how strong I am,” Hamler said.
In a year when there are enough quality wide receivers to fill two draft boards, Hamler is one of the most electric, a player who is compared to Percy Harvin and patterns himself after DeSean Jackson. But because he tweaked his hamstring several weeks ago, Hamler will not take part in any of the running and receiving drills at the combine, preferring instead to wait till his pro day.
But he did jump on the bench press with the other wide receivers on Wednesday and seemed disappointed when he did 15 reps of 225 pounds. It was not the best — Quintez Cephus of Wisconsin did 23 — but it was far from the worst (seven by Notre Dame’s Chris Finke).
Hamler does not have to convince anyone at Lucas Oil Stadium of his speed, which is sub-4.4, or his ability to turn short catches into explosive plays. He averaged 16.9 yards per catch and scored 13 touchdowns the past two seasons at Penn State, proving that his size is not a deterrent to big plays.
If the Steelers are looking for playmakers to help the only offense in the league to not score at least 30 points in any game last season, Hamler is that kind of guy.
“My small stature is probably the biggest thing that everybody‘s worried about,” Hamler said. “But I’m a playmaker, I can make plays whenever you need me to.”
Size does not seem to be much of a turn-off to NFL teams anymore. The Baltimore Ravens drafted Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown (59, 166) in the first round last year and he became a bigplay receiver in their offense, registering seven touchdowns on 49 catches.
But one area Hamler needs to improve is his ability to become a more reliable receiver, especially in traffic. He had eight drops with the Nittany Lions in 2019, a problem he attributes to a lack of focus, not ball skills.
“I’m not proud of it,” Hamler said. “A lot of teams know that by now. I think, for me, it was a lack of focus, lack of concentration while catching the ball. I would always turn my head and try to get upfield before even securing the ball. The most important thing on the field is the ball. Basically just focusing on that, focusing the ball all the way into the tuck, I’ve been working on that from offseason until now.”
Hamler could have stayed another year at Penn State and remained with his good friend, quarterback Sean Clifford, whom he credits for persuading him to go to Happy Valley and shun his home-state Michigan Wolverines.
But even though it is a deep draft year for wide receivers, with more than two dozen projected to go in the first three rounds, Hamler elected to enter the NFL draft and showcase his skills at the next level.
“There’s no guys slacking in this wide receiver class,” Hamler said. “I came out because I’m not afraid of competition. That’s just me personally. I just wanted to prove to myself and to everybody else that I can be in this league and I can play in this league for a long time.
“There’s a lot of big names here. I don’t think a lot of people know me yet. I gotta be grade-A in the interview room. I’m not that big in stature. But my mentality is just different.”
How so?
“I’m a dog,” he said. “That’s just point blank, period. You don’t find a lot of people my size, doing some things that I do. Me personally, my playmaking ability, my dog mentality just stands out.”
He is hoping to show NFL teams they are not barking up the wrong tree by taking him.