How will former Nittany Lions Yetur Gross-Matos and KJ Hamler fare with their new NFL teams?
Penn State saw its two first players come off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft Friday night on the second day of the event. Yetur Gross-Matos was drafted No. 38 overall by the Carolina Panthers and KJ Hamler came off the board eight picks later at No. 46 overall to the Denver Broncos.
Let’s take a look at how both players will fit with their new teams and what their destination means for the beginning of their NFL careers.
DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Carolina Panthers
Gross-Matos was taken early Friday night after a fruitless wait Thursday night. The former Nittany Lion went in the second round at No. 38 overall to the Panthers and will join an incredibly talented defensive line.
The Panthers spent their first round pick this year, No. 7 overall, on defensive tackle Derrick Brown and their first round pick last year, No. 16 overall, on defensive end Brian Burns. Gross-Matos, who was the clear top pass rusher at Penn State, won’t be the focal point of the opponent’s game plan early in his NFL career. That should free him up to make more of an impact as a rookie than he would have on a less talented line.
Gross-Matos is unlikely to match Burns’ production from his rookie year, when he tallied 7.5 sacks, but he could still have a big impact early. The former Nittany Lion has great size for a pass rusher and can bend around the edge to get to the quarterback.
He racked up 17.5 in his two years as a full-time starter for Penn State, using his power to beat offensive tackles.
Former NFL Scout and current Ourlads general manager Dan Shonka said Gross-Matos’ measurables stand out.
“He’s got the length you want as an outside pass rusher,” Shonka told the Centre Daily Times. “He’s got the ideal body size. He’s a long and bendy guy who plays with a low pad level. He’s very flexible. He’s got a big lower body, which is good because he can anchor against the run better.”
Gross-Matos has the size and strength to slide inside on passing downs and rush the passer from the interior. While the former Nittany Lion may not make an enormous impact as a rookie, he has plenty of upside to be a consistent fixture on a defensive line down the road.
“It’s all ahead of him,” Shonka said. “Theoretically he’s the second-best pass-rusher off the edge in this draft. ... I think, since he’s an ascending player, I think he’ll be a guy who can week in and week out be a real solid player. Maybe get six or seven sacks a year.”
WR KJ Hamler, Denver Broncos
Hamler went off the board shortly after Gross-Matos Friday night. The Broncos took him in the second round with the No. 46 overall pick in the draft, adding him to a very young and talented offense.
The former Nittany Lion was the second wide receiver the Broncos selected in the draft, after former Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who they took in the first round. They’ll join Courtland Sutton, who made the Pro Bowl last season, to make up Denver’s three likely starters at receiver.
Hamler is destined to play in the slot for Denver, and likely throughout his career, because of his lack of size. He’ll provide the Broncos with a weapon who they can use in several ways. Hamler has the ability to stretch the field as a deep threat and showed the ability to track the ball well in the air on those long shots down the field.
He can be used behind the line of scrimmage as well, where he excels in the screen game and makes defenders miss with his elite acceleration and ability to avoid contact. He struggled to reel the ball in on occasion, however, which was a concern for Shonka, but not the biggest concern.
“Is he going to be able to hold up?” Shonka said about Hamler, who suffered an ACL tear head of his senior year of high school that delayed the start of his collegiate career. “His durability would be a concern. He can also get overwhelmed in contested situations.”
The undersized wide receiver may not win any jump balls in his time in the NFL, but he won’t have to if he’s used properly.
Hamler’s best opportunity to succeed will come in the slot and with a team that can move him around the offense and utilize his talents in other facets of the game, according to Shonka.
“He’s an impact guy,” he said. “He gives you return ability. He’ll be a chess piece for teams or a utility player. I think he’ll be a really good slot player in the league.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 12:57 AM.
