Which Kansas City Chiefs WR Is the Best Replacement for Tyreek Hill?

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs actually addressed the receiver place basically after buying and selling Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins this offseason. The signings of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster and the drafting of Skyy Moore helped rectify the scenario for probably the most half, however an vital query stays largely unaddressed because the offseason continues.

Who will exchange Hill’s manufacturing?

Travis Kelce being the most effective tight ends in soccer will definitely assist with the lack of manufacturing from Hill’s departure, however he can’t be utilized in the identical manner. With a participant as proficient and impactful as Hill leaving, there isn’t a definitive approach to exchange his manufacturing. With that mentioned, there are gamers on the huge receiver place who can actually emulate his success. 

Whereas Smith-Schuster and Moore are proficient gamers in their very own regards, they don’t essentially match the profile to make an affect in the identical manner Hill did. Each Smith-Schuster and Moore are dependable slot choices with robust arms who function properly over the center of the sphere, however they simply lack the velocity wanted to fill that Hill-esque function.

Then again, Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman possess the field-stretching capability to provide the Chiefs a style of what Hill dropped at the desk.

Like Hill, Valdes-Scantling is a harmful risk down the sphere. He posted a 4.27-second 40-yard sprint time on the 2018 NFL Mix and has constantly displayed his deep risk capability all through his profession.

In solely 11 video games final season, he posted a league-best common goal distance at 17.5 yards, in addition to 22 deep targets (good for the Nineteenth-best within the league).
Valdes-Scantling’s velocity and deep route success are excessive factors in his sport, however the place he could lack when it comes to filling Hill’s footwear is the flexibility division.

He solely racked up 79 slot snaps in comparison with Hill’s 313 within the 2021 season. Additionally, Valdes-Scantling has solely carried the ball eight instances for 51 yards in his profession with no carries or yards coming in 2021, whereas Hill carried the ball 9 instances for 96 yards within the 2021 season alone.

Valdes-Scantling’s lack of alignment and involvement versatility are usually not very best weaknesses when seeking to exchange somebody as versatile as Hill. To fill that function (as finest as potential), the Chiefs want a participant who can line up practically anyplace, has the power to stretch the protection and may get touches to create yards in numerous methods.

That participant is Hardman.

Hardman was infamously chosen earlier than receivers like D.Okay. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin within the 2019 NFL Draft to be a participant like Hill. The dimensions, velocity and ball-carrying capability are eerily comparable, however the Chiefs by no means absolutely noticed what Hardman was product of due to Hill taking a majority of the snaps, targets and manufacturing in that function.

With Hill now in Miami, Hardman has the possibility to blow up onto the scene within the function he was drafted at — which is such a coveted spot to play.
There are not any questions on Hardman’s versatility. He recorded 265 slot snaps in 2021 and carried the ball eight instances for 46 yards.
Like Hill, Hardman additionally excels after the catch. 

Final season, 487 of Hardman’s career-high 693 receiving yards got here after the catch. That is good for five.9 yards per goal. Pair that together with his 11.7 yards per reception common and eight.3 yards per goal common, and the image turns into crystal clear in comparison with the remainder of the Chiefs’ receiving corps. Regardless that Hardman is utilized in several roles greater than Valdes-Scantling, he nonetheless racked up 13 deep targets in 2021. This reveals that he can nonetheless get it carried out down the sphere, too.

Hardman is the receiver whose skillset most resembles Hill’s. He’s a speedster who’s extra than simply that; he has the power to affect the sport from the backfield and within the secondary. Whereas Hardman isn’t a Hill clone, he has the reps, expertise and alternative to provide the Chiefs what they’ll miss from their former celebrity wideout.