The signing of former Kansas City Chief Mecole Hardman shocked some Packers fans.

Late Tuesday evening the Packers decided added to their Wide Receiver room.

But was this the signing Packer fans were hoping for?

Not really.

The Packers desperately needed a number 1 receiver as they are without as true number one Receiver.

Through out the first and second days of Free Agency, there were plenty of choices.

From Davante Adams, to possibly trade for DK Metcalf, the Packers had there chances.

Instead they waited a couple weeks after the market opened to sign Hardman.

It does bring up the question, where does the former second round draft pick fit in the Packers offense?

Playing in the slot

Hardman has the speed and agility to be a game changer.

But his size and speed are more suited to play in the slot.

His skillset and size are similar to Jayden Reed.

What does this mean?

It means we could see a bigger role for Jayden Reed in the Packers offense.

Like Reed, Hardman played more than 50% of his career snaps in the slot.

Furthermore dating back to his college days, Hardman has played primarily in the slot.

So, what we could see is Hardman taking over some of the things that Reed does like end-arounds and “gadget” plays.

That being said though, it will be interesting how both players will be used in Matt LeFleur’s offense.

The Speed factor

As we mentioned earlier in the article, Hardman has speed.

During the NFL combine in 2019, he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash, showcasing the ability to stretch the field.

The same ability that Christian Watson has.

With Watson out for predictably the majority of the season this year, Hardman can fill that role.

Though he may not have the size that Watson has, Hardman can be a deep threat with the speed he has.

The kick return game

Ok, maybe this isn’t offense related but it can help out the offense.

Mecole Hardman can return kicks and punts.

That can help the Packers as their top two options for returner, have bigger roles on offense and defense.

Keisean Nixon is in the mix to be the Packers top cornerback on defense.

The other option Jayden Reed, as we mentioned earlier, may be in a bigger role on offense.

That leaves Hardman, who has a track record of being a good returner.

Hardman was an All-Pro returner during his rookie season.

In his career, Hardman has returned 45 kickoffs for 1,073 yards and 89 punts for 819 yards.

In total Hardman has 2 touchdowns (1 Kick return and 1 punt return).

Conclusion

Mecole Hardman was signed to a one year contract.

A very low risk signing for the Packers in Free agency.

In retrospect though, this is a good signing for the Packers.

Hardman bring experience and can help with the absence of Christian Watson.

He’s also a three time Super Bowl champion which is a accomplishment in itself.

If Hardman can be a game changer for the Packers, then you are looking at a dangerous WR room.

But there is no harm if Hardman doesn’t make the team as the contract was just a one year deal.

It will be interesting though how he performs under Matt LeFleur’s offense.

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Hau Khuong has been a Packers fan since 1996. He currently works as a video editor in Green Bay and writes for PackersTalk.com and you can follow him on twitter at @HauKhuongSports.

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