The 2019 offseason, following the Kansas City Chiefs‘ first trip to the AFC Championship in 25 years, quickly became the first one centered around Tyreek Hill. Leading up to the draft, there were legal issues swirling around the team’s superstar receiver, and it was pandemonium amongst Chiefs Kingdom. Hill was the ultimate weapon for the new MVP quarterback in town, and the fear was—much like it is to some today—that the Mahomes magic would fade without Hill.
Fast forward to the 2019 draft, and the Chiefs went shopping for his replacement in Mecole Hardman.
In his junior year at Georgia (2018), when the Bulldogs fell to Alabama in the national championship game, Hardman found some of the spotlight on the big stage and was regarded as one of the best gadget receivers in college football. He was Georgia’s speed option to take the top off of the defense (35/543/7) as well as an All-American kick returner averaging 25 yards per return. Still nowhere near the top of his class—which included the likes of A.J Brown, Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, Marquise Brown, and D.K Metcalf—Hardman had such similar stats and college tape to Hill that general manager Brett Veach thought he had struck gold in the same way that John Dorsey had with Hill five years prior.
It’s important to remember that Mecole Hardman was drafted in the first place to replace Tyreek Hill for the Kansas City Chiefs just three years ago.
As it would turn out, Hill would never get into any of the trouble that was surrounding him and he would continue on to have three more consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, suppressing Hardman’s opportunity to become the guy.
Now coming off of his most productive season as a professional, a year in which the entire NFL tested the Chiefs’ high-powered offense with a universal deep protection adjustment, Hardman is poised for his breakout season in 2022. With JuJu Smith-Schuster being one of the most highly touted slot receivers in the league, and Marquez Valdez-Scantling filling in as a legitimate X receiver, Hardman’s gadget abilities and overall inclusion in the playbook will once more be under the spotlight.
Playing alongside—and more often behind— Hill made Hardman’s skillset less appealing in play design. While he was drafted to replace Hill, his athleticism was never on the same tier. However, with their strengths parallel, and the Chiefs’ receiver room now filled with more complete role players, Hardman will have an opportunity to come into his intended role in 2019 and fill the void of Hill’s absence.
It would be unfair to set an expectation for Hardman to perform at the same level as Hill because Hill is in a league of his own. However, the potential for Hardman to break out this upcoming season warrants a mention. Again, the receiver room—although generally considered less threatening without Hill—is more complete than it has been in recent years. Travis Kelce is still a force to be reckoned with, and with a better supporting cast in place, the stage is set in Hardman’s favor.