Kansas City Chiefs draft Xavier Worthy: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1] [2]

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Texas receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

The Chiefs traded up four spots with the Buffalo Bills to select Worthy. They sent the Nos. 32, 95 and 221 picks to Buffalo for Nos. 28, 133 and 248. The Chiefs were eager to land another top pass catcher for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, especially with second-year player Rashee Rice's status in question.

Worthy, the 5-foot-11, 165-pounder, ran the 40-yard dash in a record-setting 4.21 seconds at the NFL combine. That speed was on display during his three seasons with Texas, where he finished third in school history with 26 touchdown receptions and with the fourth-most career receiving yards (2,755).

In 2023, he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns.

NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysis

Big board best available: Who's left from Dane Brugler's Top 300?

Draft pick grades: Nick Baumgardner, Scott Dochterman rate the selections

Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections

"The Athletic Football Show": Watch live reaction to the draft

'The Beast' breakdown

Worthy ranked No. 50 in Dane Brugler's Top 300 big board. Here's what Brugler had to say about him in his annual draft guide:

"Using his ability to weaponize his burst and breakaway speed, Worthy can win deep, separate out of breaks with full-speed route cuts or stick his foot in the ground and fly with the ball in his hands. Despite being a blur across the field, though, just 18.7 percent of his catches in 2023 resulted in a 20-plus-yard play. He tracks the ball well, but he won't win in many 50-50 situations and needs space at the catch point to be effective."

Coaching intel

What an anonymous coach had to say about Worthy in Bruce Feldman's mock draft:

"Electric. I think he's a really good receiver. He reminds me of DeSean Jackson. He can go the distance every time he touches it. I don't think he's not physical. I'll say this: He isn't little. He's long. He's just skinny."

Why he's a first-round pick

Worthy earned second-team All-America honors in 2023 as a return specialist after leading the FBS in punt return yards. He was also named a first-team All-Big 12 player as a receiver and return specialist. Worthy led the Longhorns in receiving in each of his three seasons and didn't miss a game.

Texas scored on the first play of the game 😳

Casey Thompson to Xavier Worthy for 75 yards 🤘

🎥 @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/wVwbbtYzp0

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 9, 2021

How he fits

Mahomes, arguably the NFL's best quarterback, reacted to the Chiefs' selection by posting a smiling face with sunglasses emoji on his X account. Led by coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs have prioritized receivers with plenty of speed and explosiveness to produce highlight-worthy plays.

Paired with Mahomes, and with tight end Travis Kelce attracting attention in the middle of the field, Worthy has the potential to be a big-play threat with his legitimate rare speed. The biggest knock on Worthy concerning his future in the NFL is that he weighed just 165 pounds at the combine.

"Xavier Worthy down there somewhere."

- @PatrickMahomes

LETS GO @XavierWorthy .. time to work‼️

— Drue Tranquill (@DTranquill) April 26, 2024

Rookie impact

Acquiring Worthy gives the Chiefs two receivers with elite speed, as veteran Marquise Brown joined the team on a one-year contract in March during free agency. Worthy could be projected as the Chiefs' third receiver on their depth chart, behind Brown and second-year player Rashee Rice. Worthy, though, will likely be relied on early in his rookie season. Rice is expected to be suspended for violating the league's personal conduct policy after he was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in northeast Dallas last month, according to police. He was the driver of a Lamborghini sport utility vehicle that caused the crash, which created a chain-reaction collision involving four other vehicles, police said.

Depth chart impact

One of the Chiefs' biggest roster needs was at receiver. General manager Brett Veach understands the Chiefs need to keep investing high-round picks into the position, considering Mahomes is in his prime and Kelce will be 35 in October. Adding Brown in free agency was a start for the Chiefs. But adding a dynamic rookie like Worthy should help the offense regain its potency.

They also could have picked …

Entering the draft, one question loomed over the Chiefs: Do they select a receiver to bolster their passing attack or acquire a left tackle to help protect Mahomes for the 2024 season and the rest of his prime years? The Chiefs chose Worthy, but they could've selected either of two left tackle prospects: Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) or Kingsley Suamataia (BYU).

That decision could lead the Chiefs to re-sign veteran left tackle Donovan Smith to a one-year deal. Entering Thursday, the projected starter at the position is Wanya Morris, a second-year player who was selected in the third round.

Fast evaluation

This selection from the Chiefs is logical and exciting for the franchise. Worthy will be the fastest player on the roster since the team had Tyreek Hill, one of the league's fastest players. Worthy and Brown should help Mahomes connect more often on deep passes, an element that was mostly missing from the offense last season. Reid believes Worthy has the toughness to be a dynamic receiver, and he should get plenty of opportunities to prove it with Mahomes as his new teammate.

(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)