Kansas City Chiefs: Rookie expectations for Mecole Hardman

The Kansas City Chiefs spent their first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, a second round selection, on Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman. What are the expectations for Hardman as a rookie?

As we all know, the Kansas City Chiefs traded out of the first round in order to acquire Frank Clark from the Seattle Seahawks. That meant they didn’t have a draft choice until the second round and they ended up trading up to pick 56 select Mecole Hardman out of Georgia.

At the time of the draft, there was a lot of uncertainty about whether Tyreek Hill would be on the team or not moving forward. We’re still unsure of what Hill’s future with the organization, and with the league, entails, but it was certainly clear that Hardman was picked up to replace Hill.

That’s what makes Hardman such an interesting player for the Kansas City Chiefs. If Hill ends up remaining a Chief for 2019, Hardman might not get the playing time the franchise hoped he’d get when they took him with the 56th overall pick and expectations will have to be tapered.

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Let’s assume Hill is indeed with the team still when the 2019 season kicks off. What will fans’ expectations be for Hardman then? Well, the Chiefs would have both Hill and Sammy Watkins still, making Hardman no more than a WR3. With Demarcus Robinson on the team too, Hardman could even be looked at as a WR4.

Last year, Robinson, who for the most part was a WR4, had 288 yards and four touchdowns. Hardman putting those numbers up as a rookie wouldn’t be disappointing, but obviously we’d like to see him targeted more by Patrick Mahomes.

Even if Hardman being a WR4 ends up being what happens, he could hopefully pack a punch on special teams as a return specialist. He returned a punt for a touchdown last season at Georgia and with his speed, he could definitely do the same in the NFL or at least get the Chiefs solid field position whenever he’s punted/kicked the ball.

If Hill isn’t in KC come the 2019 season, Hardman will play a much bigger role on the offense. Watkins and Robinson would probably the WR1 and WR2 options, but Hardman could be used on jet sweeps. His blazing speed would make him a nightmare to cover and we all saw what Hill was able to do to defenses as a rookie.

Out of all of the rookie draft picks, Mecole Hardman is one of the toughest to have expectations for. Is Hill going to be on the team? If so, Hardman might not be looked at much as a receiver, but the expectations then are that he steps it up on special teams.

If Hill isn’t on the team, suddenly the expectations for Hardman are a lot higher. He won’t put up the numbers that Hill did as a rookie in 2016, but even 600-700 yards and maybe four or five touchdowns would be a realistic prediction for the Georgia rookie.

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What do you think, Chiefs fans? What are your expectations for Mecole Hardman in 2019?

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