Kansas City Chiefs: Three takeaways from 2019 NFL Draft
By Chris Clark
2. Replacing speed with speed.
A dark cloud overshadowed Chiefs Kingdom over the draft weekend. News broke that Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill would again come under investigation. Not only does Hill’s off-field actions seem to spell the end of his time in Kansas City, so does one of the Chiefs’ second-round draft picks.
The Chiefs moved up from pick 61 to pick 56 in order to draft Georgia wide receiver, Mecole Hardman. Hardman’s resemblance to Tyreek Hill’s presence on the field is uncanny. Both have game-changing speed, are about the same size (5’10”, 190-pound range), and have unique abilities at both receiving and returning punts.
Much like when Hill joined the Chiefs, Hardman is an incredible athlete that could use some polish to become one of the league’s top receivers.
It won’t be a surprise if Hardman doesn’t completely fill Hill’s role immediately, but fortunately, it does look like his ceiling is pretty high. Under professional coaches, Hardman will be able to clean up routes and better use his speed to really become something special.
Hardman will likely be an immediate force on special teams coach Dave Toub’s punt return unit. His game-breaking speed will cause opposing teams trouble and could put points on the board quickly after a defensive stop.
Give Hardman a year or two with Patrick Mahomes in Andy Reid’s offense and we may again see a star receiver in the making.