As the captains take the field in Oakland on Sunday, Chiefs rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman will most likely make his first NFL start. Hardman replaced Tyreek Hill in the lineup in Week 1 at Jacksonville after Hill suffered a first quarter injury that will likely keep him out of the lineup until the end of October.
Despite his status as a second-round draft pick, there might not be another rookie who is better equipped than Hardman to replace an All Pro in the lineup. The path to the starting lineup has been a unique one for the 5’10” 190-pound receiver from Georgia.
As the sun began to set on the opening night of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs were dealt some shocking news. An audio recording was made public in the hours before the draft, and it seemed to condemn Hill. The AFC runners-up appeared to have an All-Pro-sized hole at a vital skill position.
In hindsight, it seemed obvious that the team adjusted their draft plans on the fly, as Veach gave up a fifth-round pick in order to move up five slots in the second round to select Hardman 56th overall. Veach would later say that the Chiefs did not base their draft choice on the Hill audio. But for national pundits and Chiefs Kingdom, the rapid-fire deduction was clear: Hardman was a perfect fit to try to replicate Hill’s mold as a vertical burner and return specialist.
One common complaint among Chiefs fans and media was that a trade up to acquire Hardman seemed unnecessary. Many reasoned that Veach could have saved that fifth-rounder and taken his chances at pick #61, with other more heralded receivers like D.K. Metcalf, Parris Campbell, and Hakeem Butler still on the board when K.C. selected Hardman. It felt like a desperation move to try to replace an irreplaceable talent.
However, much like the selection of Patrick Mahomes in 2017, you have to respect the fact that Chiefs brass didn’t move up to draft “a guy” to fill a need. They drafted “their guy.” Remember, Kansas City made the move to acquire Mahomes while Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was still on the board. Clearly, Veach and Andy Reid had done their homework and had their sights set on Hardman. Yes, the team passed on athletic giants like the 6’3″ Metcalf and the 6’5″ Butler. Yes, they passed on Campbell, who caught more passes (90) in his senior season at Ohio State than Hardman accumulated in his entire career at Georgia (60).
What caught their eye? Why Hardman over bigger receivers with a higher pedigree?
Andy Reid sees a prospect like Mecole Hardman and his mouth begins to water. The Chiefs head coach is widely known as one of the most innovative and productive offensive minds the game has ever seen.
While Tyreek Hill’s status hung in the balance all summer long, Reid did everything he could to prepare for an offense without Hill. We’ll probably never know what the initial plans were for Hardman if Hill had indeed been released or suspended, but there’s a very good chance he spent much of his time learning Hill’s role as the Z receiver.
Reid has always believed in players who can operate in open space and get to the edge. Pundits on a national level salivated over Metcalf for his combination of size and speed, but Hardman offers an element of speed and elusiveness that was second-to-none in the draft. Upon further review, Hardman is the right fit for what Reid tries to accomplish on offense, with his ability to stretch the field as well as create plays in the screen and drag game. As a weapon in the open field with world class speed, Hardman was created for Reid’s scheme.
The summer months unfurled and Chiefs Kingdom waited eagerly to see the team take the field.
Pundits speculated endlessly about what would happen with the Chiefs’ All Pro receiver.
Reid just kept scribbling in his playbook.
As the Hill saga unfolded, the three-year veteran was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. Suddenly, Hardman went from potentially being thrown into the fire to a high-ceiling reserve with time to learn under Hill and sixth-year man Sammy Watkins. Hardman spent most of training camp in a lower-leverage role where he was able to absorb the playbook on a rookie timeline.
Hardman’s comfort was evident in the preseason. He electrified the Arrowhead crowd as he blazed his way untouched to a 17-yard touchdown reception on a jet toss from Kyle Shurmur. He also became Dave Toub’s new toy. As evidenced at the Jaguars, Hardman earned the first team kick returner role, and made his presence known with a 27-yard return on the season’s opening kickoff. He also fielded a punt after Hill left the game.
With Hill out several weeks, all of the mental preparation Hardman made to be a starter will now come to fruition. Hardman will be down the priority list for Raiders’ defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Established weapons like Watkins and Travis Kelce will be a more pressing discussion for the Oakland staff as they prepare for Sunday’s tilt. Oakland will also have to account for Chiefs running backs Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy, who both made an impact in the running game as well as the passing game at Jacksonville.
Hardman, meanwhile, will most likely be left with single coverage. The Raiders will be short-handed in their secondary without safety Johnathan Abram (rotator cuff/labrum) and the status of cornerback Gareon Conley (questionable with a neck injury) still up in the air. At Jacksonville we saw Hardman motioning in pre-snap adjustments most of the afternoon, in the same way the team used Hill. Hardman was only targeted once, on a bubble screen, but if we know Andy Reid, he’ll want to put his rookie on display with a full week of preparation in the gameplan.
The way Mahomes spreads the ball around to his receivers, it’s a question of when, not if, Hardman will get the ball in space. It’s also possible we’ll see Hardman line up in the backfield, where Hill took a few snaps against the Jaguars. That may have been a scheme specifically designed to throw a wrench into Jacksonville’s plan to have Jalen Ramsey shadow Hill, but it remains to be seen if if that wrinkle is a more permanent staple to Kansas City’s gameplan.
Reid won’t want to spread Hardman too thin. We can expect to see Tremon Smith and De’Anthony Thomas hold down returner roles while Hardman focuses solely on the offense. Kansas City will have to do everything they can to preserve the health of their receivers, with only Watkins, Hardman, Thomas and Demarcus Robinson active. One way Reid can do this is by utilizing two-tight end sets and possibly even dusting off his 2014 playbook and using his three-tight end sets. With left tackle Eric Fisher’s status up in the air (questionable with Friday’s groin injury), the Chiefs are even more likely to use tight ends Blake Bell and Deon Yelder to help protect Mahomes.
The Chiefs have some favorable matchups against opposing secondaries coming up in the next several weeks, and there is no better offensive machine in the world than the one at 1 Arrowhead Drive. After a summer filled with questions for Chiefs wide receivers, those days are behind us. The time is now, and the opportunity is ripe for the speedster from Georgia.