Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos, receiver KJ Hamler chosen in second round of NFL draft

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Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and his Nittany Lions teammate, wide receiver KJ Hamler, were chosen Friday night in the second round of the NFL draft.

Gross-Matos, who had been projected as a late first-round pick, went to the Carolina Panthers, the 38th overall selection. Hamler followed at No. 46, going to the Denver Broncos.

The 6-foot-5, 266-pound Gross-Matos, 22, who left the Nittany Lions with one year of eligibility remaining, made first-team All-Big Ten for the second straight year after posting team highs of 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks last season. He had 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 2018.

The Fredericksburg, Va., native also was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award given to the nation’s best defensive end.

With the Panthers, Gross-Matos will be playing for another former Nittany Lion, first-year head coach Matt Rhule.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Gross-Matos is a very productive pass rusher who “offers double-digit sack potential.

“He has a quick swipe move, inside spin and he can also bend/wrap at the top of his rush,” Jeremiah said. “But he does need to add strength at the next level.”

Hamler, 20, who is 5-9 and 178 pounds, showed game-breaking potential in his three seasons with the Nittany Lions. He led the team with 56 catches, 904 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

The second-team All-Big Ten selection also handled punt and kickoff return duties for the Lions, averaging 21.4 yards on 24 kickoffs and 5.5 yards on 23 punts.

Hamler was not able to run at the NFL combine because of a hamstring injury, but he is reported to have run a 4.27-yard time in the 40-yard dash prior to the combine. He did have trouble with dropped passes last season but it apparently didn’t hurt his draft status.

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