Chiefs Mecole Hardman: The Hard Road to Becoming an Impact Wide Receiver – Brett Veach had logic problems to solve first and before entertaining drafting Mecole Hardman he had several considerations to take into account. He was not planning to draft Hardman with his first pick in the draft but ended up doing so due to questions about how long would it be before Tyreek Hill would be able to return to the team?
The Brett Veach logic problems to solve first:
- I think the first question was, why me Lord – a day and half before the draft Chiefs?
- How long will Hill be unavailable or is he permanently out?
- Who can I obtain with no first round pick that will give me a skill set similar to Hill’s?
What we know now was not what was known just before the draft and Brett Veach had to down shift and take into account replacing Hill, something that he was not faced with until then. Now we have a lot more information which was not known to the public and not known even right up until yesterday… and Veach is still faced with unknowns.
We proceed with caution in that regard. I have written several times about not jumping in with both feet because they could wind up in your own mouth or on your own fingers as they type fallacy on the keyboard. I have cautioned about making judgments willy nilly and without the appropriate information. What is happening now is showing us way that is the appropriate way to approach problems such as this. Too many had already convicted Hill and sentenced him to the guillotine.
Veach had to ask himself several tough questions:
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- “How am I going to account for Hill’s production as a Chiefs weapon?”
- “One method or multiple?”
- “Who, how?”
- “Sign a F/A, use the draft?”
- “Make a trade?”
It’s obvious that Veach chose the draft and chose Hardman, so… Mecole Hardman must have been on the Chief’s draft board all along.
Think back Pilgrim, how long ago the draft was and what the heartsick feeling that the Tyreek Hill fiasco brought to each of us and this was just in front of the draft beginning.
Brett Veach selected the option of shifting up his draft a bit, away from the defensive needs of the team, to that which was suddenly thrust upon the Chiefs: making a major selection for the role of WR and who might he obtain at a lesser cost than other avenues. He had to determine the status of the existing players and go from there but he had to counter Hill’s possible permanent or partial absence in 2019.
I look at the draft and the wide receiver picks that went in front of the Hardman selection and who it was, and why it was that Mecole Hardman was a fit. I have to believe Hardman was already on the board as the Chiefs would have determined that this was the equivalent of a top draft pick but available far later than most teams would look for allowing Veach to select him which he did as pick #24 of the 2nd round (55th overall) — and this is Hardman.
Hardman came from Georgia, which is not an aerial oriented offense but he can ball. The thing is, the coaching would not be as succinct as it would be for other positions. Keep in mind that Hardman came into the Georgia Bulldog program as a defender crossing over to WR. Bottom Line? Hardman needed to be a player who could take the top off the defense and get behind the secondary. He possesses that and more: hands, YAC, route running, and coming from a very good football program are all part of the requisites. The biggest thing is, he would be a stressor for any defense in multiple ways.
“… Considered one of the favorites to run the fastest 40 time at the combine, Hardman ran an unofficial 4.36 on his first attempt, a time even more impressive given his poor start out of his stance. He followed it up with an unofficial 4.34 on his second run. That run has been adjusted by the NFL to a 4.33, officially. That is the second-best time thus far at the combine, with Ohio State’s Parris Campbell running a 4.31.”
Go here for a video along with a piece by Grant Gordon at NFL.com about Mecole Hardman so far in OTAs and quick interjection by Andy Reid.
Consider that Hardman’s 40 was considered blazing. Go back and look at Tyreek Hill’s Pro Day, characterized in the same way (he was not a combine invite):
4.24 at proday today
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) March 11, 2016
Hardman’s other metrics demonstrate more about things we look for: a vertical jump of 36.5″, Broadjump 119″, Bench reps: 17. His evaluations give him high grades with weaknesses in bodying up against physical defenders to protect the ball and breaking off routes to get QB’s out of trouble. I think evaluators were looking to explain him as a later pick… coming out of Georgia.
Hardman was a defender in HS at Elbert (Elbert Co GA), High School. An All-American defender as well as Class AAA Georgia Offensive Player of the Year at quarterback his senior year at Elbert County High. He was a top 50 Collegiate prospect who signed with Georgia in 2016, starting 1 game as a freshman. He converted in 2016, from defense to offense as a WR.
In 2017 his production climbed but then culminated in 2018, a year where he would have been the #2 Kick Returner in the nation but… was one return short of being included in the ranking.
He scored both of the Bulldogs touchdowns against Alabama in the national championship game and continued his multifaceted contributions in 2018 and would have ranked second in the FBS in punt-return average.
Another view is provided by Jeff Risdon of Brownswire:
“Another smallish wideout, Hardman operates best out of the slot and can make defenders look silly once he gets the ball in his hands. He’s a middle-round prospect who also has some return skills and one of the most infectious smiles around.”
Here is a key to looking at Hardman from an AFC WR Coach: “He can go! He didn’t play receiver in high school and came in as a defensive back so we haven’t even seen what he’s going to be able to do once he learns his position.”
I think Veach saw a 1st-round-talent and went and got him. Hardman is not a player you sit on the bench and wait to develop as a second round pick. In my view, he will have #3 snaps as a Receiver early in the 2019 season.
Here’s Hardman’s media event after first day of Minicamp.
The Icing on the Cake?
It’s difficult to look at all the potential WR’s and not see high possibilities. The future looks very bright for the Chief’s Wide Receiving corp. For 2019? We will have one of the top WR groups in the NFL (yes, it does requires proof by performance).
Andy Reid explains why I think Hardman is more an immediate than later impact player:
Head coach Andy Reid called Hardman’s first attempt to run a dagger route “brutal,” but the rest of Rookie camp left him impressed. He went on to say for the KC Star:
“Every day he got a little better… These are all new to him. He did a nice job in the red zone, which normally is the toughest place to work, but he did extremely well there. He had a good finish.”
Brett Veach traded up to get Hardman and this reflects the fact that Hardman’s speed was coveted on day 2. Drafting Hardman occurred just a day after Ty Hill was suspended from activities with the team. I don’t expect Hardman to replace Hill. He is a different receiver. He doesn’t need to be that player either because of Sammy Watkins and it appears that Hill will return to the Chiefs sooner than later.
Meanwhile Mecole Hardman will be getting top 2 WR receiver snaps and opportunities to work with Patrick Mahomes. It’s an advantageous situation while Hardman is getting ready for the NFL Season. Hill didn’t just start games out of the gate with #1 WR snaps. He broke in slowly. The Chiefs will handle Hardman in a similar manner.
Hardman will develop skills as he flies through camp and preseason. He will be ready to be a contributor very quickly and the Chiefs will break him into games in a gradual approach — similar as they did for Hill — and his training will get him able to cross the bar in 2019, as he should.
Upcoming Articles of mine:
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- Chiefs Other Roads to the Fore: Armani Watts- Chiefs have capable starters for Safety
- Chiefs Rookie Back Road Comes to Fruition: Kahlen Saunders and the One Tech
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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