What if K.C. Chiefs look internally for wide receiver help?
By Josh Fann
Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman didn’t have a bad 2020 season necessarily, but he didn’t progress much at all. Despite increased targets in 2020, he still had just over 500 receiving yards and only had 4 TDs which wasn’t better than his rookie season. Hardman’s YPC also dropped from 20.7 in 2019 to 13.7 in 2020. In addition to these numbers, Hardman also had the highest drop rate on the team. (Yes, Tyreek Hill and Hardman dropped the same amount of passes last season but Hardman had the same amount of drops on lesser targets meaning he had a higher drop rate.)
Hardman also drove fans crazy with his special teams decision-making, but that’s another thing. Hardman has also talked about wanting to show he’s a complete receiver this offseason. but that would require him showing he can beat press coverage and win over the middle like Watkins does so he can play the X role. Bottom line is this year is make or break for Hardman. If he doesn’t show major progression then he’ll remain a gadget player, which is a tough pill to swallow for a guy taken after trading up in the second round (over D.K Metcalf, at that).
Byron Pringle
Byron Pringle is a really fun story. The former K-State star made the most of his opportunity in the NFL after fighting off-field issues in college. Ever since being picked up as an UDFA by Kansas City, Pringle has slowly worked his way up the Chiefs depth chart to become a respectable player. Pringle’s physicality and route-running has gotten him pretty far and he’s got potential. However, is it really reasonable to expect Pringle to be essentially fighting for wide receiver No.2 on a Super Bowl contender? That’s a pretty big jump.
Pringle has just 330 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in three seasons and for whatever reason hasn’t gotten a featured role in the offense yet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Pringle fan, but I am skeptical he is ready for that kind of role.