Mecole Hardman

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.