Rookie Review: Kansas City Chiefs draft class proved highly productive
Mecole Hardman
Pro Bowl: Return Specialist
2019 Stats: 26 receptions for 538 yards and six6touchdowns (second-highest on the team). Four rushes for 17 yards. 871 return yards and 1 touchdown.
When Hardman was selected at 56th overall, many fans and media draft analysts were quick to label the selection a reach. With wide receivers including D.K. Metcalf, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Parris Campbell, and Andy Isabella still on the board, there was some confusion on what the Chiefs saw in Hardman. Many media heads concluded that it was a panic selection with the recent news regarding Tyreek Hill and his unknown future with the franchise.
As the Chiefs started their 2019 regular season, it was clear the team wanted to develop Hardman in a similar way Hill was in his rookie season. That plan was quickly tossed out the window when Hill suffered an injury Week 1 missing the next four games. Between Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, both multiple missing games, the young Georgia product was on the field for over half of the offensive snaps through Week 6. Once Watkins and Hill returned, his snaps dropped significantly, with the one exception being against the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City.
It was rare to hear anything about Hardman throughout most of the season. He had a few splash plays against the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots midway through the season, but not much outside of that. Those plays were enough for fans to be calling for him to see more playing time as we got closer to the playoffs.
In the final week of the season, Hardman returned his first kickoff for a touchdown to take the lead over the Chargers in the third quarter. Continuing that momentum into the postseason, Hardman would be the starting point of a massive turnaround returning a kickoff for 58 yards to start the second quarter comeback against the Houston Texans.
Year two will likely bring a more consistent role for Hardman. It’s unknown what the wide receiver room will look like in 2020 with questions on whether Sammy Watkins will return for the final season of his three-year contract and Demarcus Robinson‘s rookie contract being up. If Hardman can take the offseason to gain a better understanding of the playbook and further his development, gaining a larger route tree, he could be in for an exciting sophomore season. Getting him more involved would be huge for Mahomes, who’s always looking for the big play.