We’ve all heard of the “Break Out” season, but this year, there are three Kansas City Chiefs players who we’re going to find out about what kind of player they are. They may not break out, but this season we’ll probably have a good idea whether or not they’ll be short or long term Chiefs.
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Mecole Hardman, WR
Although this is Mecole Hardman’s third season, in his first two he’s produced 538 then 560 receiving yards. When you compare that to Tyreek Hill’s first two seasons, Hill has 593 receiving yards in year one, then broke out for 1,183 in his sophomore season as a Chief. Tom Childs at ArrowheadPride wrote a piece last week called, “Could this be the year Mecole Hardman makes a name for himself?“ in which he says:
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“A desire for immediacy had been fueled by post-Draft Hill comparisons. Hardman ran a 4.33 30-yard dash, Hill ran a 4.29; both hail from Georgia; both are 5ft 10in. There were similarities, but to expect the converted cornerback to waltz in and compete with his fellow speedster’s numbers would have been unfair. He needed refining and Andy Reid knew it.”
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Maybe you missed it, but the crux of Hardman’s problems may stem from experience: he was recruit to Georgia as a cornerback. Then, he came out after his Junior season which gives him all of four years experience as a WR. Still, this may be an unfair comparison because Hill is not only the fastest WR in the league, but considered by many to be the best. On the other hand, Hill was a RB when he was taken by the Chiefs in R5, the 165th pick overall.
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It’s not so much the comparison to Hill that makes Hardman a marked man (in the sense that he could be looking for a new team is he doesn’t show better this year), but the lack of real progress is apparent when you see that he had 22 more yards receiving in 2020 than he did in 2019… and… he had 28 more snaps in year two.
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Also, Hardman’s lack of utilization may be the reason. After all, he was in on 45% of the snaps in both of his first two years. However the reason for that may be his performance. His catch rate went up, but his Yards per Catch went down. Way down. For 20.7 yards per catch his rookie year to 13.7 last season. In other words, Hardman’s explosive plays fell off considerably.
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Hardman also appears to not have great lateral agility. His speed is straight-line speed which helps to make him a deep threat but doesn’t give him the versatility of a Sammy Watkins who could juke and move sideways.. when he was healthy. However, there are those who wonder if the Chiefs need a deep threat with Tyreek HIll already providing that element to the passing game. That may be the reason the Chiefs drafted a player like Cornell Powell who can execute those underneath routes and get himself open long enough for Patrick Mahomes to see him.
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So, there’s a question about Mecole Hardman’s route running. In a pice by Michael David Smith called, “Mecole Hardman Wants to Show He’s a Complete Receiver” he quotes Hardman as saying:
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“That kind of makes me mad when people say, ‘Oh, he’s just a deep ball threat.’ I literally can run routes very well. People don’t really see it because a lot of my routes are down the field. You’ve got Travis [Kelce] and Sammy [Watkins] and Tyreek [Hill] for all that other stuff. They can do everything across the board. I can really run routes really [well]. I get out of my breaks very well. A lot of people [think] I can’t run routes. I’m like, ‘What?’ People have the misunderstanding that I can’t run routes. I’m very capable of running every route on the tree.”
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While this appears to be recognition on Hardman’s part that there is at least the perception that he has a route running issue, to quote Shakespeare: “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”… and of course, I’m in no way calling Hardman a Hardwoman (although the way the USWNT is playing, that might be an upgrade these days), it’s really just put up or shut up time for him. Watkins may have been the fly in his ointment, but it’s time for Hardman to let er rip!
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Lucas Niang, OT
Since Lucas Niang decided to take the 2020 off as an opt out year, we still have no idea what the Chiefs have with him. Is he going to be a goldmine of a pick, or a total wash… or somewhere in between? Matt Lane of ArrowheadPride once wrote a piece about Niang called, “OT Lucas Niang was a steal in the third round of the draft” and he covers Niang’s Pass Protection, Run Blocking, Explosion, Balance, Reading and Reacting, Hand Technique, and Feet, and mostly has good things to say about him. We also know the WFT’s star rookie defensive end, Chase Young, once had glowing things to say about Niang as well.
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When looking at Niang, the Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck said he’d prefer to see him at Tackle instead of Guard, although it was said during the 2020 offseason that Niang could get his first crack in the lineup at that position. Niang then opted out and so, we still have no idea — mostly — what he’ll perform like once given the opportunity. Here’s Niang during OTA’s:
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Yes, Lucas is one massive human being coming in at 6-foot-6, 315 lbs..
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Kyle Crabbs at thedraftnetwork.com had this to say about Niang just prior to the draft. Here’s he’s speakign specifically about Niang’s power at the point of attach and his athleticism:
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“Awesome ability to push people around and create space for his rushers in the run game. Road grader who compliments his power with surprising grace in lateral string-out blocks or when firing directly off the ball and immediately establishing contact. Pretty stunning to see how well he moves. He’s a big fella but has little issue firing out to win with quickness at the snap or climb to the second level and break down on a block. Really impressive application of strength when blocking on the move.”
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Sounds like we should have high expectations for Niang and as I recall, Matt Lane said Niang was a steal in the third round. Lucas Niang is another reason why I can’t wait for training camp to begin. It’s so close now you can almost smell it (it has that fresh cut grass smell… of wait… I just cut my own front lawn… that’s probably it)!
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Anthony Hitchens, MLB
Unlike Lucas Niang, we already know what we’ve got in LB Anthony Hitchens. Or do we? A change came over Hitchens last year and it may have culminated in week 12 in Tamps Bay, when he had 7 tackles, a tackle for a loss, and 2 QB Hits. Sterling Holmes at FanSided gave Hitch an A- for the game saying:
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“His tackle for a loss was critical in this game and that held the Bucs to a field goal. He was consistently in good position, not only in the run game but in coverage as well. He has had a bounce back year this season, and he is looking more like the linebacker that Brett Veach envisioned when he signed him in free agency.”
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Sterling alludes to Hitchens progress as the year proceeded. So does Chiefs Focus:
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Although he ended up with a PFF grade of just 50.5, 2020 was his best year in a Chiefs uni. Playing in a defense for two years in a row was likely the reason and it bodes well for the future. Hitchens said of his apparent progress:
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“It’s just being more comfortable. It’s the second year in the system; my last three years, I think I’ve been in three different systems. Finally getting comfortable in one and hopefully can be the same one for years to come. Just like with everything in life, the more you do it, the more comfortable you get, and the better you get at it — as long as you work at it. I’ve just been working my tail off the last two years to better myself and my teammates, and it’s finally showing.”
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If Anthony Hitchens can show that he’s continuing on his upward trajectory, the Chiefs may end up extending him after the season… and the trio of Hitchens, Gay, and Bolton could be the best group of LBs the team has had since the Marty Schottenheimer era. If K.C. were to cut Hitchens next offseason, the Dead Cap number would be $4.23M. That’s not a ton towards the cap, but if, on the other hand, Hitch can prove his worth, they may want to keep him.
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It all depends on what we “Find Out” this year. Starting next week. WhoooWooo! Let the games begin!
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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