Kansas City Chiefs: Rookie receiver Mecole Hardman compared to Chad Johnson

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy certainly thinks high of rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman, comparing him to the great Chad Johnson.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up and drafted wide receiver Mecole Hardman in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Hardman is a talented player who the Chiefs obviously valued highly, but they appear to think he is better than any of us could have imagined.

The Chiefs released episode one of their new series “The Franchise” this week. This gives us an inside look at the team and how they are building going forward. The first episode was fantastic and I encourage all of you to check out as soon as you can.

Anyway, late in that premiere episode, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was heard on camera comparing Hardman to a great former NFL wide receiver, Chad Johnson.

"“This kid reminds me of Chad Johnson when he came out,” Bieniemy said on the show."

Now, does this mean that Hardman is going to be as productive as Ochocinco? Of course not, but he is clearly a talented receiver whose impressive combination of speed, quickness and overall athleticism gives him a high ceiling at the next level. An intelligent offensive mind like Bieniemy comparing his upside to a player like Johnson should have all Chiefs fans excited.

Bieniemy was asked about his comparison on Thursday, just one day after the episode aired.

"“You know what? Putting that pressure on Mecole. I think that’s a tremendous height to compare him to,” Bieniemy said, according to the Kansas City Star. “But I will say this: Mecole is doing a heck of a job. He’s a smart, intelligent kid. Obviously when you come into this level, there’s some things you need to continue to work on, the speed of the game being one of them and just understanding the urgency in which we have just to get better."

Bieniemy obviously does not want to put any extra pressure on his dynamic rookie wide receiver. He probably wishes that he would not have said what he said in front of the cameras.

That being said, it is easy to get excited about Hardman’s obvious upside with the Kansas City Chiefs. Whether he ends up being as good as Johnson or not, taking a shot on his upside was undoubtedly worth it for the Chiefs in the second round.