Getty Texas Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
The addition of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown doesn’t eliminate the possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs adding a wide receiver during the 2024 NFL Draft.
That’s why Chad Reuter of NFL Media has the Chiefs trading up in the first round to select receiver Xavier Worthy out of Texas in Reuter’s latest mock draft.
To move up in the draft, Reuter has Kansas City trading picks 32 and 64 to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for the 19th overall pick, which would subsequently be used to select Worthy.
“The Chiefs aren’t waiting around for a speedster like Worthy to stretch the field. In fact, I won’t be surprised if they move into the top half of the draft for him,” Reuter wrote on March 22. “Yes, Kansas City just signed Marquise Brown, but a) it’s a one-year deal and b) the Chiefs could use multiple upgrades to the receiving corps. The Rams have historically traded down, so they could be a willing trade partner, getting K.C.’s first- and second-round selections in return.”
Chiefs Would Be Reaching for Xavier Worthy
Pairing Worthy with the Chiefs would make a lot of sense given the team’s current roster layout. However, trading up on Day 1 of the draft to select Worthy would be a reach given that Worthy is a borderline first-round talent.
Instead, the Chiefs should take advantage of a very deep receiver class by staying put at No. 32 or trading back and accumulating more picks that they then can use to move up the board on Day 2 and Day 3.
Worthy is no doubt a talented playmaker with blazing speed. But his size (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) and lack of physicality cause him to struggle against physical cornerbacks. Those concerns alone make it hard to justify drafting him with a top-20 pick in April.
Xavier Worthy: Chiefs Should Draft Me, Use Me Like Tyreek Hill
During an interview with USA Today’s Tyler Dragon, Worthy said he believes the best landing spot for him in the NFL is with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
“In a perfect world, I definitely would want to go to the Chiefs,” Worthy told Dragon in an article published on March 8. “Just the way Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs improvise and use you. They had Tyreek Hill. The way they used him, I feel like that would be a perfect fit for me.”
Worthy also revealed to Dragon that, after he broke the NFL Scouting Combine’s 40-yard dash record by running it in 4.21 seconds, Mahomes, among many other people, reached out to him via text to congratulate him.
In Worthy’s 2023 season — his final season at Texas — he registered 1,014 receiving yards on 75 receptions and 5 receiving touchdowns, according to Sports Reference.
Regardless of the coverage, Worthy just needs time to get open downfield thanks to his track speed. He also possesses good ball-tracking skills and has the bend and agility to excel on out-breaking routes.
Worthy, 20, is far from a finished product. But in the right offense, he can be an immediate contributor in the NFL.
The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 25.