3 early Chiefs training camp standouts who fans can’t ignore

1. WR Mecole Hardman

There has been limitless hype stirred up around the new receiving corps in Kansas City, but the Chiefs still have some familiar faces to lean on in the new-look offense. Travis Kelce is still the bonafide TE1 across the NFL and will draw attention from every defensive coordinator who plans for the Chiefs this season. That will create ample opportunity for all of the new contributors to the offense to succeed.

Mecole Hardman, for the reason he was drafted by the Chiefs in the first place, is the most intriguing aspect of this receiver room. Taken by the Chiefs in the second round of 2019, Hardman was selected in the wake of Tyreek Hill facing legal trouble and in anticipation of Hill being unavailable for the 2019 campaign.

Of course, Hill played, and the Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl LIV that year; Hardman was left in the shadow of the Chiefs unquestioned WR1.

Now, three years into his rookie contract and coming off of the best season of his career in terms of both production and volume, Hardman has an opportunity to showcase his value. With Marquez Valdez-Scantling able to take off the top, JuJu Smith-Schuster’s skill set out of the slot, and Skyy Moore’s versatile deployment options, Hardman can finally focus on what he’s best at without direct competition.

He was the best special-teamer in the 2019 draft and was picked by the Chiefs for his Tyreek-esque involvement in the Georgia Bulldogs offense. In the upcoming season, he will be able to showcase both of those skills independently. He will return punts for the Chiefs and is currently taking over the responsibility of the short and twitchy Tyreek Hill route tree in camp.

That’s not to say he’s limited to the short-side of the field though. He hauled in this stellar one-handed grab on an out-and-up on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/bradhensonpro/status/1555941986745651203?s=21

The competition for reps in the Chiefs’ receiver room is one of the most intense in camp, but given Hardman’s familiarity with the scheme, and the motivation he has entering a contract year, he is an unavoidable standout and a candidate for WR1.