The 2023 NFL free agency is right around the corner. While some players will work out extensions to remain with their current teams, most will become unrestricted free agents and hit the open market, which very well could be the case for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Having yet to truly live up to the second-round expectations, what are some possible landing spots for Hardman for the 2023 season?
Mecole Hardman Free Agency Predictions
Over the last few years, some relatively strong free agent wide receiver classes have helped drive up the prices as players benefited from the market. That’s not the case in 2023, as the wide receiver class might be the weakest of any position, unlike the historically loaded running back group. Throw in a deep rookie wide receiver class, and I can understand why teams might be hesitant to spend an exorbitant amount of money on the position.
MORE: Will the Chiefs Re-Sign Mecole Hardman?
Assuming someone does pay him, don’t look for it to be the Chiefs as ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler states the Chiefs will have a “difficult time” keeping several free agents. Fowler continued, “They are bracing to lose receiver Mecole Hardman, who should have a sneaky-good market despite playing just eight games last season. Some teams believe he will hit a pretty good number on a per-year average.”
However, given the athleticism Hardman can bring to an offense, where might he play in 2023 and beyond?
Would Hardman Help Turn Around the Bears’ Wide Receiver Room?
The point was made last year, and I stick with it that the Chicago Bears had the weakest wide receiver room in the league last season. This was not a stretch, and it clearly impacted their offense.
Darnell Mooney, for as great as he can be, is better off as a Z rather than the X. Chase Claypool recorded just 10 receptions following his trade to the Bears, and Velus Jones Jr., who is entering his second year, is set to be 26 and is nearly a year and a half older than Hardman.
Chicago must surround Justin Fields with better weapons to extract every bit of his incredible upside. They can certainly do this, as the Bears have the best salary cap situation in the league. Plus, they hold the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which common sense would dictate will be traded away for a massive return.
By no means would Hardman fix all that ails the wide receiver room. While I am not sure he is a WR2, this is not a class where you can become overly picky, and Hardman is a top-five receiver in this year’s wide receiver class of free agents. This is a pairing that makes a lot of sense.
Indianapolis Could Be Interested in Hardman
The eyes of the NFL world were on Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, and over the next month and a half, they will remain one of the most talked about teams given their current needs.
The Colts will likely look to address the WR position this offseason. Although Michael Pittman Jr. has certainly lived up to expectations as their top target, rookie Alec Pierce was extremely hit or miss in Year 1. With Indianapolis likely upgrading at quarterback with one of the highly coveted rookies, it would only make sense to surround them with as much perimeter talent as possible.
Despite Hardman having struggled over portions of his career, he could be a sneaky winner of this free agency due to the weakness of the class and his ability to stretch the field, both vertically and horizontally. If the Colts want to pony up the money, Hardman could help solidify their WR3 position for the coming years.
Hardman Could Find Himself in Baltimore To Address a Critical Need
Is there any NFL team that needs wide receiver help more than the Baltimore Ravens? Injuries have plagued Rashad Bateman’s career, and he has played under 800 snaps across his first two seasons.
James Proche and Tylan Wallace have yet to secure prominent roles despite the Ravens starting and relying on players like Demarcus Robinson and Devin Duvernay.
MORE: Ravens’ Internal Tensions Boil Over as Rashod Bateman Roasts GM Eric DeCosta
While all eyes are on the current contract situation regarding former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, there must be changes to the personnel.
While I do expect Bateman to have a vastly better year this season while staying healthy, Hardman brings a different speed element and can work as a No. 3 option behind Bateman and TE Mark Andrews, which likely would be better for his skill set as I’m not sure Hardman has shown us that he can succeed as a No. 1 or No. 2 on a consistent basis.
Mecole Hardman’s Market Value, Career Stats, and More
Coming in at No. 70 in our Top 100 NFL Free Agents for 2023, Hardman had a massive opportunity last year but failed to seize the moment. With the Chiefs trading away Tyreek Hill in the offseason, Hardman was set to compete with the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster for the No. 1 role.
Unfortunately, he had his least productive season as injuries limited him to eight games. Hardman recorded just a 5.56% target share, catching 25 of his 34 targets for 297 yards and four touchdowns.
This was a step down from the 2021 season, where he had nearly 700 yards and 60 receptions on 83 targets. The 2019 NFL second-team All-Pro was used creatively at times by Andy Reid, including screens and even designed handoffs to get the 5’10” receiver the ball in space in as many ways as possible.
Yet, Hardman was always buried on the depth chart behind Hill and Travis Kelce, who has consistently dominated the market share for a good reason. While Hardman did miss a significant chunk of time last season, he had been healthy up until this point, and his abdominal injury isn’t something most people will be concerned about in the future.
According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, on February 21, Hardman had “successful groin repair surgery with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. It cleared up the issue he was dealing with this past season.”
MORE: Wide Receiver Free Agency Rankings 2023
While his upside as a receiver is up for debate, the athletic upside is not, and it’s why Hardman is entering free agency with an estimated market value of $10.3 million AAV on a four-year, $41.55 million contract, according to Spotrac.
Whether or not Hardman hits this number remains to be seen, as that’s a pretty penny for someone who has averaged less than 40 receptions and 525 yards per season.
However, when the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Jakobi Meyers, D.J. Chark, Smith-Schuster, and even Allen Lazard have signed their names on the dotted line, Hardman will quickly become the best available, and the team desperately needing an athletic boost will be turning towards Hardman during free agency.