After 32 selections were made in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, ESPN draft expert Matt Miller said the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs had the best draft pick of the night.
“What has the Chiefs’ offense been missing since trading away Tyreek Hill? A legit deep threat with high-end speed. Well, they’ll have the fastest player in combine history — [Xavier] Worthy ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash — running go routes for Patrick Mahomes now,” Miller wrote on April 26 when asked which team had the best draft pick in the first round. “Worthy is a speed demon, but he’s also a complete route runner. And he had great production early in his career as a punt returner. He’s not as big or physical at the catch point as Hill — he’s only 165 pounds — but the deep ball is back in Kansas City.”
The Chiefs traded the No. 32, No. 95, and No. 221 picks to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the No. 28, No. 133, and N0. 248 picks. With the 28th overall pick, Kansas City selected Worthy, who turns 21 on Saturday, April 27.
Speaking to the media after day one of the Draft, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach explained the decision behind trading with an AFC rival to move up in Round 1.
“I think everyone goes into the process with their own list of priorities of what they want to do and what they want to accomplish,” Veach explained during his press conference. “Every team constructs their team a little bit differently. I think they had a mindset of what they wanted to do. Obviously, they’ve done a great job over the years and they’re a really good organization. I’m sure it made sense to them — I think they ended up making another move there, too.
“We were on our own agenda, and we saw value there. Again, moving 38 spots for a guy that we think will be a great addition to our team. Especially with the special team values he adds, I think, was something we really factored in.”
Brett Veach Details Value Xavier Worthy Brings to Chiefs
During his senior season at Texas, Worthy caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Along with his abilities on offense, Worthy is also an effective punt returner. During his final season at Texas, he averaged 16.9 yards per return, according to Sports Reference.
Veach mentioned Worthy’s special teams value when touting the rookie after the first round.
“Just a kid that loves football and is coachable. He’s a smaller, slender guy, but he’s super tough. We all know the value he adds in the special teams game is big for us,” Veach said. “I heard Coach’s (Reid) press conference, he talked to Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian) and raved about him and just how quickly he picks up things, how competitive he is, work ethic, all those things you look for. You have a dynamic playmaker with top-end vertical speed, smart. You can move him around and do different things with him.”
How Many Draft Picks Do Chiefs Have Left?
The Chiefs traded the same amount of draft picks to the Bills as they got in return, so the team still has six selections to make over the final two days of the Draft:
- Round 2: No. 64
- Round 4: Pick 131
- Round 4: Pick 133
- Round 5: Pick 159
- Round 5: Pick 173
- Round 7: Pick 248
Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft begins on Friday, April 26 at 6 p.m. Central time.
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Draft Expert Says Chiefs Had ‘Best Draft Pick’ After Trading Up in First Round