Chiefs need Mecole Hardman to produce in 2019

Mecole Hardman can’t afford to have a steep learning curve in 2019. Depending on how Tyreek Hill’s situation plays out, Hardman’s ability to contribute in 2019 may determine who wins the Super Bowl.

In Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots are the favorites to win the Super Bowl at 6/1 odds. However, the Patriots are the more known quantity.

New England has Tom Brady at quarterback and head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline. The franchise has won six Super Bowls since Brady took over in 2001 and has appeared in eight. This season, the Patriots are trying to go to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight year, something only accomplished by the Buffalo Bills from 1990-93.

Kansas City doesn’t have the same history by any measure. Heck, the Chiefs hosted the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history back in January. They lost in overtime, 37-31, to the Patriots.

This is where Hardman comes in. The second-round pick out of the University of Georgia is likely to be replacing Hill at the very least during a hefty suspension, and at the most for the foreseeable future. Considering that Kansas City relies almost exclusively on its offense to win games — the defense is improved, but a bevy of new parts and a new coordinator will make that a work in progress — Hardman at least needs to do a decent on-field imitation of Hill.

Should Hardman disappoint as a rookie, Kansas City potentially has real issues. Sammy Watkins is a terrific player, but he hasn’t played a full season since being a rookie. Should he go down, the next veteran on the depth chart is Demarcus Robinson. Robinson has the athleticism and hands to be a quality player, but he’s never reached 500 receiving yards in a season.

While Hardman didn’t put up eye-popping offensive statistics with the Bulldogs, he’s one of the rare rookies who should see his numbers improve from college to the pros. Why? At Georgia, Hardman played in a run-first offense that often operated by distributing the ball around. In other words, Hardman was hardly the other weapon on a national championship contender. In Kansas City, he should be given more opportunity, especially with Patrick Mahomes at the controls.

If the Chiefs plan to hold off the powerful Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West, let alone be the team that finally topples New England in the conference, it needs Hardman to be a quality contributor from the jump.