Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill Thinks There’s ‘No Ceiling’ For Mecole Hardman
Tyreek Hill has big expectations for teammate Mecole Hardman heading into his second year with the Kansas City Chiefs. Charles Goodman of Chiefs Wire reports that Hill said he believes there “is no ceiling” for Hardman while talking to the media on Saturday.
“Well, I think Mecole (Hardman) is going to continue to be a heck of a player. But it’s all about mindset. I feel like if he continues to do what he has been doing in the past and works his butt off, he’s going to be amazing,” Hill said. He added Hardman is someone he believes can be a 1,000-yard receiver every year.
As Goodman pointed out, Hill has some lofty expectations for Hardman, but it doesn’t appear they are entirely unachievable. Hill did add that Hardman needed to continue working on his game in order to become the player he could be. He also said Hardman needs to change his game every year in order to stay ahead of defenses.
The veteran receiver said his teammate cannot just rely on speed all the time. He said the youngster needed to find a way to become stronger when it came to fighting for a catch in traffic, as one specific thing that needed work.
Athlete: @MecoleHardman4
WR
Team: @ChiefsRelease Work vs Man Press.
Starts with his the feet. Finishes with his hands. pic.twitter.com/oHOrJ7GBXA— Footwork_King (@footwork_king1) April 29, 2020
Goodman believes Hardman understands there was work that he needed to do over the offseason. The second-year receiver has spent much of the spring working with one of the best free-agent wide receiver coaches in football, Rischad Whitfield. Whitfield is better known around the league as “The Footwork King.”
Hardman and Whitfield have reportedly worked on the receiver’s footwork when it came to press-man coverage. The coach specializes in working on that particular aspect of the game with his students. He teaches players how to beat press coverage with their arms and their hands.
The technique is meant to allow Hardman to get off the line of scrimmage better after the snap and get behind more physical defenders. Whitfield is said to teach players how to make sure there isn’t any wasted motion when making their moves after the snap.
Hardman had a modest start to his Kansas City Chiefs career alongside Tyreek Hill in his rookie season. While the young receiver played in all 16 games, he started just five. Targeted a total of 41 times, Hardman reeled in 26 catches for 538 yards. The rookie did impress analysts when it came to what he did with the ball after he caught it. Hardman had six touchdowns and averaged over 20 yards a catch in 2019.
