Broncos are dealing with injuries to Todd Davis, KJ Hamler

Todd Davis and KJ Hamler both sustained major injuries at Broncos practice.

The hype around the Denver Broncos is both palpable and justified, as the solid defense and armada of new weapons for quarterback Drew Lock has Vic Fangio and his squad set up nicely for playoff success. The first few days of practice, however, haven’t gone according to plan, as starting linebacker Todd Davis and rookie wideout KJ Hamler both came down with injuries.

Davis was carted off the field after being unable to put weight on his left leg, while Hamler has been ruled out for the next few weeks after tweaking his hamstring. In addition to both Hamler and Davis’ medical struggles, star pass rusher Von Miller and much-hyped running back Melvin Gordon are nursing elbow and rib injuries, respectively.

Ian Rapoport claimed that Davis’ injury is likely a calf problem rather than an Achilles. That has to be extremely relieving for Broncos fans, as an Achilles injury might’ve spelled the end for Davis in 2020.

Todd Davis continued to produce last season, while KJ Hamler has star potential

The Broncos drafted Hamler, an explosive weapon out of Penn State, in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft following their selection of Jerry Jeudy in the first round. Hamler piled up 904 yards receiving and eight touchdowns in 2019, and is positioned to see time as Denver’s No. 3 receiver behind Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. 2018 fourth-rounder DaeSean Hamilton could fill in for Hamler if he misses regular season games.

Davis, who joined the Broncos after a very brief stint with the Saints in 2014, has quietly become one of the league’s more reliable middle linebackers over the last four seasons. Despite Denver’s record, 2019 was arguably his best season to date, as he set a new career-best mark in tackles with 134. 2018 fourth-round pick Josey Jewell and 2020 fifth-rounder Justin Strnad will likely compete for Davis’ snaps if he misses any extended period of time.

Denver has been picked as a team who might be able to challenge for a playoff spot in 2020 given the continued development of Lock, but that fantasy might not come true if injuries continue to plague key members of the team.