KC Chiefs: Mecole Hardman’s fit in a rebuilt wide receiver room

Mecole Hardman was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft after the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to the 56th overall pick. The Chiefs at the time, coming off of their most successful season in about a quarter-century, needed some insurance at the wide receiver position since Tyreek Hill was under investigation for child abuse and his short and long-term status was up in the air. Since Hill was not charged with any crime or disciplined by the NFL in relation to the investigation, that raises the question about whether Hardman would be a Chief today if that 2019 offseason storyline never happened?

Nonetheless, Hardman is a Chief today so let’s talk about how his production may or may not change due to the Chiefs’ renovation of the wide receiver room.

Over his three seasons with the Chiefs, Hardman has averaged 42 receptions on 62 targets for 597 yards and 4 total touchdowns per regular season. He’s also never missed a regular season or playoff game in the NFL. Ever since he arrived in Kansas City, it’s felt like Hardman’s been in the shadow of Hill, since they are both smaller with the speed of a player with three rockets on their back. Hardman hasn’t quite figured out route running as quite as well as Hill has. Also, Cheetah’s acceleration has been a lot more impressive than Hardman’s.

What’s ahead for Mecole Hardman in a wide receiver room with so many new faces?

After Hill missed Weeks 2 through 5 in 2019 due to an injury, per Pro Football Focus ($), Hardman recorded 12 receptions on 19 targets for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns, second only to Demarcus Robinson in both over that stretch. He also recorded the best PFF receiving grade among all Chiefs wide receivers at 69.3.

Circling back to 2022, what will Hardman’s role be in the Chiefs’ revamped offense? The Chiefs brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster as veteran options for Patrick Mahomes. The latter will likely serve as an all-around receiver for Andy Reid and Mahomes, while the former will likely serve as a primary deep threat. Where does that leave Mecole Hardman?

Obviously, Hardman’s speed is a weapon but at this point, his route running is not that of a #1 receiver.  But that doesn’t mean that he can’t be a weapon for this Chiefs offense. The Chiefs, in my opinion, should continue to use him as they did in 2021 but on a larger scale. Hardman was a weapon for Kansas City with the ball in his hands as well as on deep passes. According to PFF ($), Hardman had 5 receptions on 13 targets for 216 yards, but no touchdowns, on deep ball attempts last season. He also had a grade of 97.0 in those situations, tied for 28th among all receivers with at least 10 targets on such plays.

Though Hardman can be an asset for the Chiefs on deep passes, I think where he’ll make most of his money is on short passes and plays where he first touches the ball behind the line of scrimmage. Per PFF ($), Hardman recorded 29 receptions for 259 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on pass attempts that were behind the LOS, including screens and jet sweeps. His PFF grade on those plays in 2021 was 94.8, second in the entire NFL only trailing the great Deebo Samuel. His drop grade on pass attempts behind the LOS was 88.3, the highest in the NFL (Hill was second). Specifically, on screen passes ($) in 2021, Hardman had 25 catches for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns for a PFF grade of 96.1, third in the NFL.

For Hardman to have a breakout season in 2022, he has to develop as an overall route runner and can’t just be a receiver who only sees targets on go routes and screens. He’s already a weapon on deep passes and is elite on screens but you have to contribute in more situations than that to be considered a #1 or #2 receiver. If he is the same player in 2022 as he was in 2021, that’s okay but it will still leave a lot to be desired. I think he will see a slight uptick in his production to maybe 750 or 800 yards, however, I do not think he become the star that many thought he could be when he was drafted.

He may benefit from not being in Tyreek Hill’s shadow anymore and will have a chance to prove that he can be a player that can contribute in all sorts of ways. If Hardman can reach the potential that many fans believe he has this season, then opposing defenses will be in a world of pain from a Chiefs offense that many people thought would take a step back in 2022.

What do you think of Mecole Hardman? Will he finally break out as a complete receiver in 2022? Feel free to let me know in the comment section or on Twitter (@StrozinskyLucas).