Broncos draft bust might finally be figuring it out on another team

What the Denver Broncos are experiencing as a resurgent franchise was initially supposed to include a number of young players who, for one reason or another, didn't end up sticking on the roster. Inconsistency on the field, injury issues, contract issues...there were a lot of reasons for certain guys not getting to be part of what Broncos Country is experiencing today.

One player who was still with the team as recently as 2023, but ended up as a surprising mid-training camp cut, was former second-round pick KJ Hamler. Hamler showed off his potential with the Broncos early in his career, but unfortunately couldn't stay on the field due to injuries.

He's been working his way toward more opportunities the past couple of years with the Buffalo Bills, and made a decent splash in Buffalo's preseason opener.

Former Broncos draft pick KJ Hamler figuring it out with the Buffalo Bills

It might just be a wide-open touchdown catch for Hamler in the preseason, but it's something, and something is more than what we've seen over the past couple of years. For him, this had to feel really good.

Hamler's time in Denver was a mixture of explosive plays and high expectations along with disappointment and frustration. Not to mention, Hamler dealt with some tragic family circumstances and some really scary health stuff beyond just injuries suffered on the field.

Still just 26 years old, Hamler has a chance now to finish what he started in Denver, or at least to get his career back on track. If he can stay healthy, he can be a weapon for the Bills or someone else if the can't make their 53-man roster, which has a lot of young receivers already.

Hamler spent the first three seasons (plus) of his NFL career in Denver, and was released in the midst of his fourth training camp. He never got the chance to play for Sean Payton, although when Payton decided to cut him, he left the door open for Hamler's potential return.

We'll likely never see that come to fruition, but Hamler was one of those players who was supposed to be instrumental in the Broncos returning to their former glory. The 2020 NFL Draft class including Hamler, Jerry Jeudy, and Albert Okwuegbunam was supposed to provide the team with a young offensive core to build around for the future, and it was sad that it never actually ended up happening.

Thankfully, injuries and other life circumstances haven't prevented Hamler from keeping his fight, and he's seeing the fruits of his labor with the Bills. Hopefully, he can continue to progress and get a shot to play in the regular season for the first time since 2022.