By Matt McMullen – Chiefs.com Reporter
he Kansas City Chiefs traded up in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night to select former University of Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 overall pick.
Here are five things to know about the newest member of the offense.
1. Worthy was immensely productive at Texas over the last three seasons.
The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Worthy hauled in 197 catches for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns in 39 starts during his three-year career at Texas. He was remarkably consistent, too. In fact, Worthy tallied at least 60 receptions, 750 yards and five touchdowns in each of his three seasons in Austin.
Additionally, he saved his best campaign for last. The 20-year-old Worthy caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards last season – both career-bests – while finding the end zone five times and earning Second-Team All-American honors. It’s worth noting that Worthy was also durable during his career and never missed a game.
Worthy finished his career at Texas with the third-most touchdown grabs and the fourth-most receiving yards in the Longhorns’ storied history.
2. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Worthy has blazing speed, as evidenced by his ridiculous 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this offseason. It was the fastest recorded 40-time in the history of the event.
3. His change-of-direction ability makes him more than just a vertical threat.
Worthy’s straight-line speed is legitimately historic, but it’s his ability to maneuver that makes him truly dynamic.
Here’s more on his skillset from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:
“Using his ability to weaponize his burst and breakaway speed, Worthy can win deep, separate out of breaks with full-speed route cuts or stick his foot in the ground and fly with the ball in his hands.”
The folks at Pro Football Focus also commented on Worthy’s dynamic agility, writing the following in their pre-draft guide:
“[Worthy has] functional NFL speed, [he’s] not just a straight-line sprinter. He can vary his speeds to still be an efficient route-runner while operating at high speeds.”
4. He has experience as an outside receiver and in the slot.
Worthy handled a variety of roles during his time at Texas, splitting his time between the outside (60 percent of snaps) and the slot (40 percent of snaps). That experience should pay dividends in 2024 as the Chiefs aim to use the electric playmaker in a variety of ways.
Head Coach Andy Reid discussed what stood out to him about Worthy – other than his obvious speed – following Round 1:
“He’s a good route-runner. He’s not a big kid – at least weight-wise – but I think you’ll see the toughness that he has,” Reid said. “That jumped out at me. [We talked to Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian], and he kept talking about how smart he is. He has great football instincts, and he’s a tremendous worker. In this offense, you have to be able to do that and have those characteristics.”
5. Worthy was a tremendous return man during his time at Texas, too.
The speedy Worthy led the FBS in return yards last season with 371, which included a 74-yard touchdown. He averaged 13.8 yards-per-return over the course of his career at Texas, handling 41 punts for 564 yards and a score.
Reid mentioned Worthy’s ability on special teams following Round 1:
“We think he’s a heck of a football player, and he does a few different things. He’s a good wide receiver, and also a good special teams’ returner,” Reid said. “He’ll end up doing both to start things off.”
The 2024 NFL Draft resumes on Friday night at 6 p.m. CT.
