Tag: 2019 rookie season review

Chiefs 2019 rookie season review: WR Mecole Hardman

A surprising draft choice for the Kansas City Chiefs became their rookie of the year.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and each of those rookies made contributions during the season and postseason. This draft had a mix of offensive and defensive players compared to the 2018 NFL Draft, which was primarily defensive players for the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at Mecole Hardman’s 2019 season and see what we can project for the future.

Georgia WR Mecole Hardman – 56 overall

Stat

2019 totals
Games played 16
Games started 5
Offensive Snaps 471
Special Teams Snaps 123
Receptions 26
Targets 41
Recieving tards 538
Receiving touchdowns 6
Kick returns 27
Punt returns 18
Return yardage 871
Return touchdowns 1

2019 season review:

Hardman was the top draft choice for the Chiefs and with that came a specific set of expectations. Head coach Andy Reid threw a lot at Hardman in his first offseason in order to see what he could do. From countless repetitions with Patrick Mahomes to throwing different defensive looks and coverages at him.

“He’s getting better every day,” Reid said in June. “We’re asking him to do a lot and he’s staying up on it. Sometimes he’s not quite sure and there’s a little hesitation, then the next time he runs it he’s got it. So that’s what you’re looking for. We’ve been happy with his progress.”

During training camp, the biggest thing Hardman struggled with was adjusting to the speed of the game. He also needed to understand that no play was dead with Mahomes as his quarterback.

Hardman was thrust into action when both Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins suffered early-season injuries. By Week 2 of the regular season, Hardman’s role in the offense increased significantly. When both Hill and Watkins returned to the starting lineup and Hardman took a backseat, he still managed to produce. Whether it was breaking off a big play on limited offensive snaps or setting up the Chiefs with great field position on special teams.

By season’s end, Hardman was selected for the Mack Lee Hill Award, recognizing the top rookie for Kansas City.

2020 season outlook:

Ultimately, Hardman impressed with his maturity and production during the 2019 season. He seemed to fit into the offense and locker room with ease. Most importantly, he was able to step up when the team needed him to.

In 2020, it looks like Demarcus Robinson is set to leave in free agency. Watkins could become a cap casualty if he refuses to restructure his contract. That means that Hardman could be in line to become WR2 opposite Tyreek Hill. He’ll likely have more opportunities in his second season no matter what happens with the others on the team, which is why it’s extremely important that he continues to work to improve his game.

I spoke about the sophomore slump in a previous review and how it can be even deadlier after a Super Bowl win. Work is never over if you want to be recognized as one of the best. So far that seems to be instilled in this rookie class, we’ll see if Hardman and the rest of them can take things to the next level in 2020.

Chiefs 2019 rookie season reviews:

WR Mecole Hardman (You’re here!)

DB Juan Thornhill

DT Khalen Saunders

CB Rashad Fenton 

RB Darwin Thompson

OL Nick Allegretti

Chiefs 2019 rookie season review: DB Juan Thornhill

A standout from the get-go, Kansas City Chiefs DB Juan Thornhill now faces a comeback after an injury ended his 2019 prematurely.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and each of those rookies made contributions during the season and postseason. This draft had a mix of offensive and defensive players compared to the 2018 NFL Draft, which was primarily defensive players for the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at Juan Thornhill’s 2019 season and see what we can project for the future.

Virginia DB Juan Thornhill – 63 overall

Stat

2019 totals
Games played 16
Games started 16
Defensive Snaps 996
Special Teams Snaps 48
Total Tackles 57
Solo Tackles 41
Interceptions 3
Touchdowns 1
Passes defended 5

2019 season review:

Thornhill came in and made his presence felt early. He was a star of training camp, leading all Chiefs’ defenders in interceptions. He was a bit gun shy when the preseason got underway and didn’t initially stand out, but he did enough to earn the trust of the coaching staff. He unseated veteran safety Daniel Sorensen for the starting spot opposite Tyrann Mathieu to become the only opening day starter of this draft class.

“One of the things I like, his open-field tackling,” Chiefs DB coach Sam Madison said of Thornhill at the midseason mark. “He’s been doing really good in that area. He’s improved from Week 1. We try to explain to him that this isn’t college anymore and these quarterbacks are going to lie to you. They’re going to look one way to hopefully move you and then they’re going to come back. He’s gotten better with that and the play down in the endzone when he came up with the interception, it just shows that he can get there. When you have a middle-of-the-field post safety, you want him to be able to get from two-to-three yards outside the numbers to two-to-three yards outside the numbers and he’s able to do that. He’s showing his range and hopefully, he can keep getting better.”

From a season-long perspective, Thornhill was remarkable in coverage, allowing just 0.22 yards per coverage snap according to Pro Football Focus. That number was good for the sixth-fewest in the NFL among all defensive backs. He gave up a single play of 20 or more yards one time during the entire 16-game 2019 season.

Unfortunately, Thornhill’s season ended prematurely as he suffered a torn ACL in the regular-season finale. He was placed on injured reserve before the postseason run that would make the Chiefs Super Bowl LIV champions.

2020 season outlook:

Thornhill seems motivated in his recovery, but right now we don’t even have all the details on his injury. We know that he tore his ACL, but we don’t know if there was any accompanying ligament damage. Those details can make all the difference when it comes to the recovery timeline.

The 2020 season outlook for Thornhill is very much a wait-and-see type of scenario. Even if he returns by the preseason or start of the regular season, there could be an adjustment period before he looks like the players we saw dominate as a rookie. It’s also possible that he comes back as sharp as ever and prepared to pick up right where he left off. With Jordan Lucas and Kendall Fuller set to leave in free agency, Kansas City will be hoping to see Thornhill sooner than later.

Chiefs 2019 rookie season reviews:

WR Mecole Hardman (Coming soon)

DB Juan Thornhill (You’re here!)

DT Khalen Saunders

CB Rashad Fenton 

RB Darwin Thompson

OL Nick Allegretti

Chiefs 2019 rookie season review: DT Khalen Saunders

The Kansas City Chiefs played Saunders out of necessity, but look for improvements in year two as an NFL player.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and each of those rookies made contributions during the season and postseason. This draft had a mix of offensive and defensive players compared to the 2018 NFL Draft, which was primarily defensive players for the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at Khalen Saunders’ 2019 season and see what we can project for the future.

Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders – 84 overall

Stat

2019 totals
Games played 12
Games started 4
Defensive Snaps 165
Special Teams Snaps 130
Total Tackles 22
Solo Tackles 13
Sack 1
Pass deflection 1
QB hit 2

2019 season review:

There were plenty of standouts from the 2019 draft class ahead of the start of the season. Juan Thornhill lit up training camp. Mecole Hardman and Darwin Thompson lit up the preseason. Saunders had a more difficult adjustment to the NFL early on.

“Yeah, there was a point there where [Saunders] plateaued a little bit,” Steve Spagnuolo said in August. “Brendan (Daly) and I talked about it, but I think he’s worked him a way to making some gains.  It’s a little up and down, 50/50 right now, he has to find some consistency, but we like where he’s at right now.”

Luckily for Saunders, the Chiefs didn’t need him early on during the 2019 season. Saunders was made inactive through the first quarter of the season, effectively becoming a healthy scratch. It wasn’t until Week 5 that he was first active and played his first NFL defensive snaps.

Saunders started the four games in place of Chris Jones who was injured. During that time, he proved to be a solid component of the defensive line rotation. He had a great hustle play for his first NFL sack, which came against Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. From Week 10 onwards, after Jones’ return, Saunders snap counts dipped significantly.

2020 season outlook:

The Kansas City Chiefs have three defensive tackles scheduled to become free agents in 2020 in Jones, Mike Pennel and Xavier Williams. It’s unlikely that all three players hit free agency because that’d leave the team dangerously thin at the position. There should, at the very least, be more snaps available for Saunders during the 2020 NFL season. I don’t expect to see him as a healthy scratch again.

What the Chiefs need to see from Saunders in 2020 are some improvements. He’s already improved as a run defender throughout the 2019 season. What I am looking for is continued development as a pass rusher, especially if Kansas City is forced to move on from Chris Jones. Too many players hit the sophomore slump in the NFL. I fear some players for the Chiefs will be at further risk of that because of the success they saw in 2019. I’m hoping that Saunders won’t be one of those players.

Chiefs 2019 rookie season reviews:

WR Mecole Hardman (Coming soon)

DB Juan Thornhill (Coming soon)

DT Khalen Saunders (You’re here!)

CB Rashad Fenton 

RB Darwin Thompson

OL Nick Allegretti

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Chiefs 2019 rookie season review: CB Rashad Fenton

Kansas City Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton had a quietly good season, suggesting that he could take on a bigger role in 2020.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and each of those rookies made contributions during the season and postseason. This draft had a mix of offensive and defensive players compared to the 2018 NFL Draft, which was primarily defensive players for the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at Rashad Fenton’s 2019 season and see what we can project for the future.

South Carolina CB Rashad Fenton – 201 overall

Stat

2019 totals
Games played 12
Games started 0
Defensive Snaps 165
Special Teams Snaps 130
Total Tackles 12
Solo Tackles 9
Interceptions 1
Passes defended 4
Forced fumbles 1
QB hit 1

2019 season review:

Chiefs fans didn’t go into this expecting much out of a cornerback drafted in the sixth round. You’ll find that once they saw Fenton called into action, they were pleasantly surprised. Fenton didn’t see his first action on defense until Week 6 of the regular season when Kendall Fuller suffered a thumb injury. He was thrust into action as a young player and he didn’t disappoint.

“Rashad is playing fast,” CB coach Sam Madison said. “When you talk about a guy like Rashad, he’s able to play outside, he’s able to play inside and early on having Kendall Fuller inside, he didn’t really get those reps unless it was walk-through. It was limited throughout the days of practice but now he’s getting those practice plays with Fuller out and he’s playing fast. That’s what we want, these types of football players on the field, and it just pushes everybody else. Hopefully, he will continue to get better. Once again, Juan Thornhill is a rookie and Rashad Fenton is a rookie, so you’ll have those mental lapses here and there. But as long as you’re out there playing fast and trying to make some plays, and he had opportunities, and now you’re able to build off those as a young player. We’re just going to keep feeding him as much as possible and hopefully, he’ll continue to grow.”

Fenton did, in fact, continue to grow. He got his first career interception in Mexico City against the Los Angeles Chargers. Just as he looked to be blossoming as a young corner in the league, Fenton suffered a hamstring injury against the Oakland Raiders in Week 13.

He’d return to action in the final game of the regular season and play a significant role on defense and special teams throughout the playoffs. He recorded one sack, five tackles, a QB hit and a pass defended against the Houston Texans in the divisional round.

2020 season outlook:

Everything about Fenton’s 2019 season suggests that he’s due for a bigger role in 2020. Forget where he was drafted and think about his play on the field. He was dominant against one of the Chiefs’ biggest division rivals in the Los Angeles Chargers. He played more snaps on defense than he did on special teams. He also showed versatility in playing both the outside corner and nickel corner spots.

That’s all before you consider the fact that Charvarius Ward, Alex Brown and Chris Lammons are the only other cornerbacks besides Fenton that are under contract for Kansas City during the 2020 NFL season. That’s not exactly a lot of experience in the secondary to call upon. Fenton could be the longest-tenured corner on the roster next to Ward if the team doesn’t re-sign their own free agents.

The Chiefs might not have much choice than to allow Fenton to take on a larger role next season. Luckily, he’s proven that he’s up for the challenge of playing in the NFL. If he shows improvement over the course of the 2020 offseason, it’s possible that he could secure a starting role on the outside or as the primary nickel corner.

Chiefs 2019 rookie season reviews:

WR Mecole Hardman (Coming soon)

DB Juan Thornhill (Coming soon)

DT Khalen Saunders (Coming soon)

CB Rashad Fenton (You’re here!)

RB Darwin Thompson

OL Nick Allegretti

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