The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, offering some surprises despite a fairly predictable start to the night. Ohio State star left tackle Josh Simmons is now a Kansas City Chief, and fans are justifiably thrilled about the upside he presents on the offensive line.
Obviously, there was a lot going on besides the Chiefs securing Patrick Mahomes' blindside protector of the future. Among those events was the Green Bay Packers selecting Texas speedster Matthew Golden at wide receiver. It's the first time the organization has taken a wideout in the first round since 2002, though it unfortunately spells bad news for one ex-Chiefs hero.
Just one year after Kansas City's selection of Xavier Worthy helped spell the end of Mecole Hardman's time with the Chiefs, it seems that another Longhorn may have just stolen the vet's job.
Former Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman Seemingly Already Replaced by Matthew Golden
The Packers taking Golden puts Hardman firmly on thin ice. While Christian Watson is going to miss most of the 2025 campaign with his ACL tear, Green Bay has guys like Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, Romeo Doubs, and more, which makes a theoretical path to playing time for Hardman difficult to navigate.
He's a stellar kick and punt returner, though so is Golden. The Texas star fills the exact same roles that Hardman does, but unfortunately for the Super Bowl champ, Golden represents much higher upside.
It's an unfortunate situation for Hardman, who is known as a beloved teammate and excellent locker room presence. He's only on a one-year contract, so Green Bay isn't committed to him. Given that, Hardman may not even make the 53-man roster.
For someone who has played pivotal playoff roles for championship teams, it's a stark fall from grace. Hopefully, Hardman can show new head coach Matt LaFleur that he deserves to stick around. At this point though, that feels unlikely.