Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman wants to show he’s a complete receiver

[KC Wolf]

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The Chiefs took wide receiver Mecole Hardman in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft primarily because of his speed, which was reflected in a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine. But Hardman wants to be known as more than just a fast guy.

With the Chiefs unsure whether Sammy Watkins will return in 2021, Hardman would like to play a larger role in the offense and show he’s a more complete receiver.

“I can really run routes,” Hardman said, via ESPN. “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.”

Hardman had 538 yards as a rookie in 2019 and followed that with 560 yards in 2020. The Chiefs would love to see him develop into a complete receiver who can make a bigger impact than that.