Moving on from high draft picks is never an easy pill to swallow, but seeing high draft picks fall out of the NFL completely? That's the brutal reality of failure in the NFL.
The Denver Broncos sadly had plenty of those types of players before GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton started running the show, and that's just the way things turn out sometimes. But when it comes to high draft picks, the story is rarely just over after one NFL stop.
Teams are always willing to brush off their old scouting reports, and you never know when a high draft selection will have friends in high places with other organizations. That is the case for wide receiver KJ Hamler, a 2nd-round pick by the Broncos back in the 2020 NFL Draft, who was with the team as recently as the 2023 season.
Hamler got an opportunity with the Colts as well as the Bills before ultimately surfacing as a member of the UFL's Orlando Storm this past season. After making some plays at the UFL level, Hamler apparently received a tryout from the Las Vegas Raiders with training camps getting underway around the league.
Former Broncos draft pick KJ Hamler gets a tryout from Las Vegas Raiders
Former #Broncos WR KJ Hamler had a tryout today with the Raiders, per wire.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) July 27, 2026
The Raiders quite possibly have the worst collection of wide receivers in the NFL right now. Some of their more notable names are unproven players from recent NFL Draft classes, but the passing game is undoubtedly going to flow through Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty first.
Not that KJ Hamler, coming in on a tryout basis, is going to cure that, but it might be a worthwhile shot for the Raiders to take.
One interesting connection to note with the Raiders and Hamler: former Denver Broncos director of college scouting Brian Stark.
Stark is currently the assistant GM under John Spytek with the Raiders, and was with the Broncos from 2012-2024. Again, sometimes when it comes to high draft picks, having friends in high places matters quite a bit in the NFL.
Hamler showed tremendous potential in his first couple of seasons with the Broncos, but injuries derailed that potential, to say the least. Hamler has been through a lot off the field, and the fact that he's still getting looks from NFL teams is nothing short of miraculous, all things considered.
He always had elite speed and a physical playing style, and when the Broncos initially drafted him, they were undoubtedly hoping that he could be their version of what Tyreek Hill was to the Kansas City Chiefs at the time. It never came to pass.
Even with Sean Payton taking over as head coach, Hamler didn't make it out of training camp. And up to this point, it's hard to say Payton was wrong for letting him go when he did. But Hamler just turned 27 years old, and you never know where one opportunity could lead in the NFL.
At this point, he didn't sign with the Raiders, but it would certainly be a storyline to watch if he did.
The Broncos have their own UFL standout at wide receiver to get excited about during training camp. Hakeem Butler was the UFL Offensive Player of the Year, and was immediately making plays during the team's mandatory minicamp. His progression will be exciting to watch, along with the rest of the battles going on at training camp.
Both Hamler and Butler are evidence, to different degrees, of why the UFL has become so important to NFL rosters all around the league. And you never know when leaving no stone unturned is going to pay off.
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