Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings engaged in “casual dialogue” with former Kansas City Chiefs star Mecole Hardman and should pick up the phone and revisit that conversation before training camp.
Hardman is a free agent after signing with the New York Jets last year before he was traded back to Kansas City midseason, where he won his third Super Bowl in five career seasons.
The 2019 second-round pick garnered Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors his rookie year and is still in his prime at 26 years old.
He has proven to be a trusted option for Andy Reid, who used Hardman’s 4.33 40-yard speed on the outside, in the slot and moved him with pre-snap motion. That kind of versatility is ideal for Kevin O’Connell‘s offense.
Hardman is coming off a clutch performance in the Super Bowl, where he caught 3-of-3 targets for 57 yards and the game-winning touchdown in a 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
He’s shown to thrive as a third- or fourth-option in the passing game — which would likely be his position in Minnesota.
In March 2023, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported that the Vikings had “casual dialogue” with Hardman — a sign he’s on the team’s radar as a fit for the offense.
Hardman eventually signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Jets — which is likely the floor of a deal Hardman is seeking in free agency.
Brandon Powell Predicted to Win Vikings’ WR3 Role
The Vikings enter training camp with a battle for the third wide receiver spot behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison after K.J. Osborn signed with the New England Patriots in March.
Brandon Powell is the presumptive favorite after he stepped up in Jefferson’s seven-game absence last season.
Powell hauled in 29 catches for 324 receiving yards and 1 TD last year, according to Pro Football Reference. He also returned a league-leading 37 punts for 289 total yards and an average of 7.8 yards per return.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert predicted that Powell would be the biggest surprise this season by winning the No. 3 wide receiver spot after a career year in 2023.
“During the O’Connell era, the Vikings’ base offense has been 11 personnel, which generally means three receivers,” Seifert wrote on Wednesday, May 22. “So unless O’Connell is going to dramatically change that approach in his third season, there is a significant need for a third player to complement Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the receiving corps. Powell filled that role well last season when Jefferson missed time with a hamstring injury, and he has a strong chance to earn a more permanent role there in 2024.”
Powell went undrafted in 2018 but climbed his way into a contributing role and a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams. He’s one of O’Connell’s key crossover players from his time with the Los Angeles.
However, Hardman has more speed and explosiveness and a longer track record of success in the NFL.
Jalen Nailor Must Prove Vikings Right This Season
If the Vikings don’t pursue a free-agent wide receiver like Hardman or former Pro Bowler Hunter Renfrow, it’s because they believe in the wide receivers room — primarily Powell and Jalen Nailor.
A 2022 fifth-round pick, coveted wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell “pounded the table” for him in 2022.
Nailor flashed his rookie year, catching 9-of-13 targets for 179 yards and a touchdown in the final two games of the season.
But last season, Nailor was barely a participant in training camp due to injury and played just one offensive snap in the first two games before suffering a hamstring injury.
He appeared in four more games and caught three passes for 29 yards — his entire production for the 2023 season.
Nailor has flashed again during spring workouts but his next step is to prove that potential in the regular season.
