NFL Analysis
10/23/24
6 min read
DeAndre Hopkins Has Enough Juice Left to Help Chiefs Win Third Straight Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs have found their veteran wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
Despite a flawless 6-0 record, the Chiefs are in desperate need of another established receiver. Breakout star Rashee Rice is out of the year with a knee injury, while free agent deep threat Hollywood Brown suffered a season-ending shoulder injury before the regular season even began.
The Chiefs had options in the trade market, but according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they decided to move forward by trading for Hopkins in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick.
It's an exciting move for a Chiefs offense that has been sorely missing another reliable target. Hopkins is having one of the worst seasons of his career, but that could quickly change for the 31-year-old now that he'll be catching passes from Patrick Mahomes.
D-Hop's Impact in Kansas City
This is the third consecutive season where the Chiefs have made an in-season trade, acquiring Kadarius Toney in 2022 and Mecole Hardman in 2023. However, neither of those receivers has the accolades and skill set that Hopkins brings.
The accolades are impressive for Hopkins. Along with three first-team All-Pro and two second-team All-Pro selections, Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns in 2017. He's had seven seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards, including this past year.
However, at 32 years old, Hopkins struggled to have the same kind of impact this year with Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans. His 1.64 yards per route run is the lowest of his career since 2016, and the quality of his targets has dropped considering Levis' erratic play, who has had to throw consistently while under duress.
Hopkins shows some signs of age on tape, but his ability has not completely fallen off. In fact, Hopkins put up some good tape earlier this season against Sauce Gardner and the New York Jets, showing his ability to still snap off routes to maximize separation against press coverage.
Let's go check in on DeAndre Hopkins vs press and see what's left in the tank.
— Matt Lane (@Matty_KCSN) October 23, 2024
*first play on NFL Pro against some random CB named Sauce*
... Aiight, seen enough from Nuk. pic.twitter.com/J28qDqIRJF
Given his size, skill set, and route-running ability, Hopkins makes sense as someone who can slot into Rashee Rice's role in Kansas City's offense. Before tearing his ACL, Rice was used all over the field, catching passes out wide and in the slot. In fact, according to PFF, 50.5 percent of his pass snaps came in the slot.
That would be a big jump in slot utilization for Hopkins, but it's not something that's completely foreign. According to TruMedia, since 2020, Hopkins has run 336 routes from the slot. On those routes, he's caught 54-of-74 targets for 664 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 1.98 yards per route run.
It wasn't until Hopkins arrived in Arizona under head coach Kliff Kingsbury that his ability as a slot really started to be unlocked.
Hopkins has some slot utilization over his career, particular during his time with Kingsbury in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/SGpa8EYH2g
— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) October 23, 2024
That's good news for Andy Reid, who will likely want to move Hopkins around to open up the offense and get his weapons into ideal situations. Mahomes has also needed a more reliable target in the slot, posting a 10.7 passer rating with an interception when targeting receivers in the slot in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers (h/t TruMedia).
However, it's not like Hopkins would exclusively play inside. The Chiefs don't have another established, healthy outside option who can make difficult catches in tight windows. Hopkins can provide that, with a career 43.5 percent contested catch rate.
DeAndre Hopkins is not who he was a couple years ago, but he still has a very useful skillset for what the Chiefs need.
— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) October 23, 2024
Film review will be up tomorrow morning or (if I'm impatient) late tonight. I'll cover where he wins, where he's limited, and how he fits into Reid's offense. pic.twitter.com/3ybsOjWRAK
Hopkins doesn't have the same juice at 32 years old, but his size and technique make up for the slight drop-off in athletic ability. His skill set blends in perfectly with how the Chiefs want to use him, and it will also open up things for the rest of his teammates.
What Does This Mean for KC's Other Receivers?
The Chiefs are thin at receiver with Rice and Brown injured. However, Hopkins' arrival should open things up for Kansas City's other weapons.
Mecole Hardman has tried to fill the versatile role that Rice played in the offense, but only in limited packages. According to PFF, he's had a career-low rate of reps in the slot at just 34.6 percent of passing snaps. He's never had a season playing less than half of his snaps in the slot.
Hopkins' arrival could allow Hardman to play a more defined slot role in his limited opportunities. His snap count has steadily climbed in the last few weeks, allowing him to play a more defined slot role.
Meanwhile, Hopkins should help relieve some of the pressure on rookie speedster Xavier Worthy. The plan originally appeared to be using Worthy as a gadget weapon early in his NFL career as he got acclimated to the league's physical play. However, injuries have forced him to shoulder a heavier workload than originally anticipated.
That heavier workload has hurt Worthy's efficiency. Per PFF, he's averaging just 1.19 yards per route run, even with a handful of explosive plays generated downfield. With such a slight frame at 165 pounds, teams can completely disrupt Worthy's routes by getting physical with him within five yards, leading to some ugly plays.
However, when Worthy is given a free release, he can cook secondaries with his elite top-end speed.
Even the slightest hesitation against Xavier Worthy can get a DB cooked. pic.twitter.com/hVGyHaVTBr
— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) September 30, 2024
Defenses have had the luxury of finding ways to lock down Worthy without the threat of other receivers gashing them for chunk plays. That will change with Hopkins potentially opening up even more explosive opportunities for Worthy while cutting his workload and improving his down-to-down efficiency.
With Worthy and Hardman playing some on the outside, the Chiefs haven't had a true possession receiver lining up out wide. Hopkins brings that, along with some slot versatility, to make matching up with the Chiefs passing game much harder going forward.
