Mecole Hardman

Last offseason, Sammy Watkins' departure from KC was a selling point for Hardman's third-year breakout. It didn't happen, though the 2019 second-round pick with 4.33 speed played 17 games and finished with career highs for targets, catches and yards. Those numbers were still shy of starter territory in most fantasy leagues, especially with only two TDs. There were a few positives, however, apart from the modest increase in volume, with Hardman's 8.5-yard YAC average (and seven broken tackles) allowing him to produce 11.7 YPR even with a career-low 7.4 aDOT (down from 11.0 and 10.6 his first two years). The target depth could rebound this year with Tyreek Hill traded to Miami, though the Chiefs signed deep threat Marquez Valdes- Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster this spring, later picking Skyy Moore in Round 2. The degree of turnover — Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson also signed elsewhere — creates the upside of the unknown in what should still be a top-5 offense, but Hardman still hasn't displayed the route-running skills, strength and consistency that allowed Hill to take full advantage of his elite speed.

Hardman's second year was much like his first — some big plays, good efficiency, but not nearly enough usage on which to count. At 5-10, 187, Hardman is small, but very fast — 4.33 40 — and he showed off that speed as a rookie with four catches of 40-plus yards on only 41 targets. But he had seven drops on 61 targets last year, and made costly mistakes in the Super Bowl, failing to get his head around on throws and jumping offsides. This season, he could replace Sammy Watkins as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Tyreek Hill, but Demarcus Robinson re-signed in March, and if snap counts are any indication, coach Andy Reid seems to value Robinson's blocking and consistency as much as Hardman's speed. Moreover, both Hill and tight end Travis Kelce are target hogs, making Hardman a long shot for big-time volume should both stay healthy. That said, no passing game has more upside, so Hardman doesn’t necessarily need triple-digit targets for a Year 3 breakout.

For a player who was barely used, Hardman was awfully productive in his rookie season. The 56th overall pick in the 2019 draft scored seven times on 41 targets, including a kick return he brought to the house. He also put up a monstrous 20.7 YPC and 13.1 YPT, league-leading numbers in the unlikely event he were able to maintain that at higher volume. At 5-10, 187, Hardman is small but extremely fast (4.33 40) and is quick and explosive in the open field. He also has the benefit of working with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes in the league's most high-powered offense. The problem for Hardman is usage - he was only the fourth wideout in an offense that also relies heavily on its tight end (Travis Kelce) and throws to its backs. And the Chiefs re-signed Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson, while Tyreek Hill is an even faster version of Hardman and firmly entrenched as the team's No. 1 option. So why is Hardman ranked this high? Because Watkins has been notoriously injury-prone, Hill himself was seriously injured last year and has had problems off the field, and Robinson is not especially good. Should Hardman take a big step forward in Year 2, or one of those players underperform or get hurt, there's massive upside for a player with his skills in this offense.

With Tyreek Hill's playing status up in the air earlier this offseason, the Chiefs used the 56th overall pick to nab a player with similar physical specs. At 5-11, 183, and running a blistering 4.33 40, Hardman's one of the fastest receivers in the rookie class and should immediately find himself as the team's new field stretcher, an especially valuable role given Patrick Mahomes' other-worldly arm. Hardman was a five-star athlete coming out of high school, starting his career at cornerback before switching to receiver. He might be a little raw, but he didn't turn 21 until March and has plenty of room to grow as a player. With Hill now in line to be on the field to start the season and Sammy Watkins still around, Hardman's initial path to steady work is not clear, especially with Travis Kelce being among the league's most targeted tight ends. Of course there isn't really any established depth behind Hill and Watkins, and it's notable that Watkins has an extensive injury history.