10 NFL sleepers to watch in the 2020 season

Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs

It should be no secret the Chiefs offense is stacked. Not only do the defending champions return nearly every player who started the Super Bowl for them (eight of 11 on offense after Damien Williams and Laurent Duvurnay-Tardif opted out), but they also add the unique skillset of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, whom they selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

So, why then, if the team is so loaded, is second-year receiver Mecole Hardman a sleeper candidate heading into the season? The reason is simple: Kansas City plans on Hardman being the No. 2 receiver by season’s end, and into the future, behind superstar Tyreek Hill.

This is evident in the way the team has managed contracts at the position: Sammy Watkins has been restructured, making this the likely last season he spends as Kansas City’s WR2; and the team re-signed Demarcus Robinson in the offseason, but only committed to him for one year. It is clear, then, the plan is for Hill and Hardman to headline the Chiefs wide receiving corps moving forward.

The other consideration is comparing the trajectory of Hill’s rookie campaign to that of Hardman’s. The two had nearly identical roles on the team – as returners and in terms of offensive usage – as rookies. If Hardman experiences even 60 percent of the leap which Hill did, he’ll be a star in his own right by season’s end.

Look for the Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and this offense, to continue to create superstars at every turn.