Xavier Worthy Pick Gives Chiefs Flexibility for Next Half-Decade
With the speed, smarts and special teams versatility Worthy brings to the table, Kansas City's first-round selection helps both now and later in a big way.
Anyone who watched the Kansas City Chiefs' offense last season could still see how great quarterback Patrick Mahomes was. They could see that, even as he crossed over the age-34 threshold, tight end Travis Kelce remained a formidable weapon. They could see then-rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice was turning into a core piece down the stretch.
They could also notice a receiver room that was severely lacking talent outside of Rice. Signing Marquise "Hollywood" Brown during free agency helped establish a baseline for improvement, and general manager Brett Veach doubled down on Thursday night. By moving up and selecting Texas wideout Xavier Worthy, Kansas City checked off a major task on its offseason to-do list.
The best part is that picking Worthy checks off several smaller boxes in the process.
First and foremost, think about the 2024 wideout unit. A top three of Brown, Rice and Worthy (in some order) is significantly better than anything featuring Rice, Justin Watson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. On paper, it's scary to think about. The on-field prospects should be legitimate, too. While none of the aforementioned group is a true 'X' receiver, Kansas City hasn't typically rolled with the traditional NFL's version of one.
Rice can operate as a bigger slot option, although he showed throughout last season that he's capable of functioning on the outside. He works well on screens, slants, in-breakers and mesh concepts. Brown is a true three-level threat who, despite his skinny frame, doesn't have to always align in the slot. Worthy will pick up the pieces as a speed demon with the same short-area explosiveness as Rice and the same deep-ball chops as Brown. He can do damage in the flats and on out routes, too.
There's also a long-term element to the Worthy move. With Brown on a one-year deal, there's a world where he enjoys a successful 2024-25 campaign and signs elsewhere in free agency 11 months from now. If that's the case, Kansas City isn't scrambling to rebuild its receiver room on the fly again. Rice will still have two years left on his rookie deal, and Worthy will have several. Sticking in round one and landing the latter leaves the possibility of a fifth-year option in 2028 on the table.
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub should also be grinning from ear to ear. In 14 games last season at Texas, Worthy led all qualified FBS players in punt return yards with just over 370. Pro Football Focus backed up his excellence there, giving him its top punt return grade at 92.8.
Worthy is far from a perfect player. He's extremely light and will have to prove that he can hold up long-term and beat physical coverage. He must also round out his route tree and put his drop issues in the past. But considering the low-cost trade-up to get him, this is a clear win for the Chiefs on night one of the draft. It helps them now and later in multiple areas at a premium position of need.
Landing a dynamic wideout near the end of the first round is one thing. Securing a good short- and long-term fit in an offense is another. Picking the fastest player in the draft class and, statistically, the fastest player in any draft class is monumental. Being able to forget an open competition or a feeling of uncertainty surrounding the punt return game is icing on the cake.
One can't find too many holes to poke in that decision. Now, Mahomes has a new running mate (pun intended) for a half-decade and Veach has a potential cornerstone piece to keep building the wideout group around. Worthy was a worthy selection.
