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The Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of speed in their receiving corps, but what may not be as evident is the depth of the group.
The marquee players like Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins are only the surface. Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson are the primary third and fourth receivers, respectively, with plenty of young and talented guys nipping on their heels for playing time.
Chiefs WR coach Greg Lewis played for Andy Reid for six seasons in Philadelphia and now enters his fourth serving as one of his top assistants. Under Lewis, Hill has developed into one of the best receivers in the NFL today and a lot of people are clamoring about what Hardman could do in his second season as a professional.
“I want him to work on becoming bigger, being more explosive,” Lewis said of Hardman. “Obviously, he was explosive last year, but he has more in him and just understands all facets of the offense. I think he did a wonderful job this offseason of doing those things and coming back prepared and ready to get to work, so I’m excited where he is right now and what’s to come.”
Division II product out of Valdosta State, Jody Fortson has been one of the hotter names around training camp. His 6 foot 6, 230-pound frame is eye-catching, but his circus-like grabs are what keeps you watching. Fortson spent the 2019 season on the Chiefs’ practice squad but hopes to make the 53-man roster in 2020.
“Jody came in as a tryout guy and we released him and then he came back and he was playing tight end, then moved to receiver,” Lewis said. “So just really being able to focus on one position, understanding what’s going on with the offense at the receiver position. That’s allowed him to play faster and play more physical and let his natural talent show, and I think he’s done a tremendous job of that throughout this offseason and up through training camp thus far. He’s a guy that’s a workaholic, he wants to be great.”
Having such a deep receiving room is one thing, but making sure those players are ready to step in when an opportunity arises is another. Lewis has done a great job getting guys prepared, look no further than early on last season when the Chiefs were without both Hill and Watkins
“Well, it’s a juggling act with all the receivers that are involved here,” Lewis said. “My big thing and what Coach preaches to me is to make sure everybody knows every position because in a game situation you never know who could go down and what not and we need to continue to put the guys in position to be successful.
“So understanding everything is big and then just technique wise just making sure everybody’s on the same page and able to do the same things, some may be better than others, but we’re able to get the job done with whoever is out there.”
There are many weapons to catch passes from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, which is why they are one of the toughest teams to slow down offensively. From Hardman to Fortson and everyone in between, it sounds like an embarrassment of riches that Reid, Lewis, and Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy will use to put a lot of points on the board.
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