Getty The New England Patriots were denied the chance to draft a record-setting WR by AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills.
The New England Patriots wanted to draft record-breaking speedster Xavier Worthy to catch passes from rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
All they needed was a little help from the Buffalo Bills, but the Pats’ AFC East rivals instead traded the 28th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Kansas City Chiefs, who promptly drafted Worthy and left the Patriots hanging.
New England missed out on the former Texas wide receiver, but the Patriots were in “high-speed pursuit of Worthy. They wanted Worthy badly. They were making calls to get that pick, and Buffalo had them on the phone,” according to ex-Patriots assistant and Cleveland Browns’ general manager Michael Lombardi, speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“New England was in high speed pursuit of Xavier Worthy and they wanted him badly..
They were making calls to make that pick and the Bills took the offer from the Chiefs”
Lombardi, who worked with the Patriots from 2014-16, called the Bills’ decision to strengthen the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs “a strange one.”
He believes it would have been less of a risk for the Bills to let their rebuilding division rivals claim the Worthy pick: “I would’ve been more than happy to have given him to the Patriots, who’s working on a new regime, who’s got a new quarterback, and in three years if Worthy’s a great player, that’s great, maybe they’re ready to go.”
Lombardi made a sound argument about why the Bills might’ve missed a trick by dealing with the Chiefs instead of the Pats. Particularly when all Buffalo did was trade back four spots in the opening round and get a third-round choice (No. 95) for a fourth-rounder (No. 133), per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The picks:
— No. 28, 133, 248 to KC
— No. 32, 95 and 221 to BUF
Ultimately though, the Patriots should be hurting more after being denied the chance to pair No. 3 pick Maye’s arm talent with Worthy’s record-breaking speed.
Bills Denied Patriots Transformative WR Xavier Worthy
Worthy’s arrival would have transformed the Patriots’ passing game from pedestrian and small ball to expansive and dynamic. That’s no bold prediction. More like a reasonable assumption since Worthy “broke the 40-yard dash record at this year’s combine, running a 4.21. He’ll instantly be the fastest player in the league,” per The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher.
His record showing at the Scouting Combine proved Worthy’s potential to be a big-play threat for the right quarterback.
The fastest man in NFL Combine history:
Maye would be the right quarterback, based on an average of 8.4 yards per pass attempt during his collegiate career at North Carolina, per Sports Reference. He has the arm strength and off-platform, improv skills to find his primary playmakers from anywhere on the field.
Maye’s ad-libbing and Worthy’s ability to maintain top speed in and out of his breaks, shown in these highlights, would have created something lethal for the Patriots.
X makes it look easy 😴
Instead, the team is left to rely on a rookie who’s a different type of receiver, along with a familiar face who’s struggled to stay healthy, to be the weapons Maye will need.
Patriots Still Waiting for Game-Breaking WR to Emerge
The wait goes on for a true game-breaker to emerge from among New England’s wideouts. A prime candidate is second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk, who should play a niche role in coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s offense.
Polk can become a fearsome after-catch playmaker, but what the Pats need more is a legitimate field stretcher on the outside. It’s a role 2022 second-round choice Tyquan Thornton could make his own, provided he can stay on the field. Fortunately, the oft-injured wideout has a plan to make himself more durable amid the rough and tumble of the pro game.
The potential of Thornton and Polk is obvious, but they remain largely unknown quantities. It means the Patriots are still hoping for a trusted, go-to target to emerge.
Finding one won’t be easy. Not when the team is being urged to dump a Super Bowl winner to save money.
Perhaps free agent arrival K.J. Osborn and returning veteran Kendrick Bourne can provide the missing spark for this uninspiring bunch. If not, new head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf will be left to rue not being able to add Worthy alongside Maye.