NFL Insider Predicts WR Selection for Chiefs at Pick No. 32
In Albert Breer's first and last mock draft of this cycle, he sends Texas WR Xavier Worthy to Kansas City.
With the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft just hours away, analysts throughout the country are putting the final touches on their projections for how Thursday will unfold. For the Kansas City Chiefs, another well-respected NFL insider is chiming in on who could join the champs.
In his first and only mock draft of this year, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer makes a wideout pick for Kansas City at No. 32 overall. The Chiefs' first-rounder goes to Texas receiver Xavier Worthy. Breer briefly wrote about the mocked selection in his full article.
"I’m not sure Worthy will be available here," Breer wrote. "But if he is, and with Rashee Rice facing potential league discipline, I’d imagine it’d be tough for the Chiefs to pass on him, even with a crying need for a tackle (in this scenario, Andy Reid could try and get fellow BYU Cougar Kingsley Suamataia in the second round)."
If available at the end of round one, this would be a home run of a pick for the Chiefs. Not only is Worthy one of the better receivers in this draft class, but he's faster than all of his peers. Raw speed and play speed are the names of his game, evidenced by his record-breaking 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine. Worthy gets going in a hurry and defensive backs must honor his quick-twitch athleticism, making him a difficult cover.
There's more to Worthy's game than just being fast, though. Contrary to comparisons to former Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman, Worthy is a more well-rounded target on offense. He has plus ball-tracking ability and maintains his stride when going for passes. He also has a good understanding of spacing and leverages his natural advantages to create space. Despite weighing just 165 pounds, Worthy has decent contact balance.
Last month, I published a full Worthy scouting article here on Arrowhead Report. Below is some of what was written at the time.
"For the Chiefs, Worthy is an intriguing fit in Andy Reid and Matt Nagy's offense. They don't have anything in the receiver room right now that matches Worthy's ability to stretch the field vertically and strike fear into defenses. His "perfect world" scenario involves going to the Chiefs, so the interest is there on his end. Should Worthy last to the pick No. 32 range on night one of the draft, don't be surprised to see and hear plenty of Kansas City buzz in a hurry."
There are reasons to be hesitant about Worthy, sure. His frame is unique, even in the modern NFL, and it'll prohibit him from being a contested-catch guru or someone capable of always beating press coverage. He also suffered from concentration drops in college and needs to fine-tune his route tree. But for a slot or 'Z' receiver, a team picking at the end of round one couldn't do much better.
Most Chiefs fans would likely hope that Breer's prediction becomes a reality on Thursday.
