KC Chiefs: Mecole Hardman is saying all the right things this offseason
By Matt Conner
There are few positions on the roster for the K.C. Chiefs in which the team is clearly going to let competition take care of the work. Wide receiver is one of them.
When it comes to the wideout position, the Chiefs seem content to roll with Tyreek Hill atop the pecking order and then to allow a number of hopeful candidates to step up thereafter. Mecole Hardman is one such holdover, and so far, he’s saying all the right things about making the leap up the depth chart in K.C.
While the Chiefs reached for some external options in free agency to help fill the void for departing wide receiver Sammy Watkins, general manager Brett Veach came up short each time he went fishing. T.Y. Hilton decided to return to the Indianapolis Colts, and JuJu Smith-Schuster did the same with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Josh Reynolds changed teams from the L.A. Rams, but he took an offer with the Tennessee Titans instead.
That leaves Hardman as one of the likeliest candidates to fill in the void in terms of overall production. Although Hardman doesn’t play the same role on offense, the Chiefs can shift some of their offensive expectations around to take advantage of Hardman’s skill set a bit more than ever knowing there are more opportunities to dole out.
Earlier this week, Hardman gave an interview to the NFL Network where he spoke about filling in the void for the Chiefs.
"“I think, with Sammy gone and that receiver spot opening up some more, I’ve got all the tools and ability to do what I need to do, so I’m definitely going to go in there and be a dog like I am, and when my number is called, take advantage.”"
Along with Hardman, Demarcus Robinson has also talked the talk when it comes to being the one to help fill in as well. Robinson even spoke about hitting the 1K-yard mark himself, a tall order on a team with Hill and Travis Kelce to feed as offensive targets.
In addition to Robinson and Hardman, Byron Pringle is expected to earn more looks on offense this year instead of just serving as a returner. Rookie Cornell Powell, taken out of Clemson in the fifth round, is also in the picture along with a host of other roster hopefuls looking to make an impact, a long list that includes Chris Finke, Antonio Callaway, and Gehrig Dieter.
Hardman seems like the most likely player to earn more targets and shoulder more of an offensive load given that the Chiefs traded up to get him in the second round back in the 2019 NFL Draft. As he enters his third NFL season, the game should slow down even more for him, especially as he turns on his “Jet” speed that makes him one of the fastest players in the NFL. If he can mature in his consistency and route-running, Hardman has the natural talent to elevate his game more than others on the roster.
Chiefs training camp is going to be interesting to watch for these roster battles without a clear pecking order. Wide receiver is one of them, but Mecole Hardman and others sound quite ready for the task ahead.