Mecole Hardman's value to the Packers extends beyond his role and creates interesting ripple effect on the roster

When the Green Bay Packers finally made their move at wide receiver in free agency, it wasn’t exactly what most fans wanted. Instead of getting a truly productive receiving weapon to transform the offense, the Packers made a marginal move to get Mecole Hardman on a one-year deal.

But relax. Not every move is supposed to be a big one, and adding a player like Hardman for something close to the veteran minimum salary makes more sense than you might imagine at first glance.

On offense, Hardman’s contributions will certainly be limited. Yes, he had three seasons with 500+ receiving yards to start his NFL career, but injuries affected his athletic ability to produce at that consistent, if unspectacular level. Last year, he had only 12 receptions for 90 yards in 12 games.

That's ultimately not why the Packers signed him. Hardman can offer some speed and horizontal threat to the offense while Christian Watson recovers from his knee injury, but special teams are the real reason why he's in Green Bay.

Even though Mecole Hardman hasn’t been as productive over the past two seasons, he is still one of the best and most versatile returners in the NFL.

The receiver was one of only five players in the league to have 65.0+ PFF grades in both kick return and punt return during the 2024 season, alongside Ihmir Smith-Marsette, KaVontae Turpin, Isaiah Williams, and DeAndre Carter.

Combining kick and punt returns, he was ninth in PFF grade. His best career grade was in 2024, even better than 2019 when he was a Second-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowler, and All-Rookie Team. And wait, did you remember Hardman had been an All-Pro returner

Last season, he was 18th in yards per punt return and 31st in yards per kick return among players with at least five returns.

The fact that Mecole Hardman can return both kickoffs and punts makes life much easier for Keisean Nixon and Jayden Reed at the same time.

After last season, Nixon had already mentioned his desire to focus on the cornerback position—and he's expected to be the team's top corner in 2025.

"I don’t really want to do it no more," Nixon said. "There's going to be talks with the coaching staff and stuff like that, but I think it's over with for me. I want to be CB1. CB1 is not doing kick returns. That's just what it is."

Nixon was a First-Team All-Pro kick returner in 2022 and 2023, but the new kickoff rules affected his efficiency.

Meanwhile, Jayden Reed is much more effective as a wide receiver, and he's been the most productive receiving option from the Packers since he was drafted in 2023. As a punt returner, he was 78th out of 83 players in PFF grade last season.

With Hardman on the roster, there is no more reason to risk Nixon and Reed unnecessarily. And the Packers can still have a solid return option for a small price.