Who Should I Start? Trent Taylor or Mecole Hardman

Tuesday, April 16, 8:08 PM

The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent wide receiver Trent Taylor to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday. It will be a reunion between the two sides after the Niners selected Taylor in the fifth round (177th overall) in 2017 out of Louisiana Tech. The 29-year-old pass-catcher spent the first three years of his NFL career in the Bay Area before two years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He went catchless on two targets in 17 games (zero starts) for the Chicago Bears in 2023. Taylor is most likely to pitch in on special teams for the 49ers after Ray-Ray McCloud left in free agency this offseason. In his six NFL seasons, Taylor has 87 receptions on 137 targets for 834 yards and three touchdowns, with most of the production coming in his first two seasons with the 49ers.

Monday, February 12, 1:28 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. played the role of hero for his team in Super Bowl LVIII, reeling in the game-winning touchdown from three yards out to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22. Hardman pulled in each of his three targets for 57 yards in Sunday's big game, also coming down with a 52-yard bomb to get the Chiefs into a goal-to-go during the second quarter. After playing just one snap in the AFC Championship win over the Baltimore Ravens, the 25-year-old stepped up as a deep threat when it mattered most for a Chiefs offense desperate for playmaking down the field all year long. Though he authored quite a feel-good story going from a New York Jets castoff to catching a championship-winning TD, Hardman's Super Bowl heroics are unlikely to make him worth rostering in the majority of 2024 fantasy drafts. Whether it's back with K.C. or another squad, the former Pro Bowl kick returner should find a home next season.