The Chiefs weren't the only AFC team who wanted Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Another AFC team tried to trade up and snag the speedster before Kansas City could. Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi told ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" that the Patriots were "in high-speed pursuit" of Worthy and even tried to trade with the Bills to acquire the No. 28 pick before the Chiefs could trade for it.
Ultimately, though, the Bills opted not to make a trade with its AFC East foe and instead traded the Nos. 28, 133 and 248 to their biggest conference rival for the Nos. 32, 95 and 221 picks. Buffalo traded back again and took Florida State receiver Keon Coleman with the second pick of the second round.
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"New England was in high-speed pursuit of Worthy. They wanted him badly," Lombardi said. "New England made a substantial offer to [the Bills], and they took the Chiefs' offer. I don’t know if the Chiefs’ offer was substantially more than the Patriots. The Patriots wanted Worthy. That’s a fact. And they tried to get him."
"The Patriots were on the phone with the Bills and that's a fact..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 31, 2024
New England made a substantial offer and they took the Chiefs offer" ~ @mlombardiNFL #PMSLive https://t.co/vEH8XRD3Ns pic.twitter.com/vaBFfZ2MGc
It's unclear what the Patriots even offered in a supposed trade for the No. 28 pick, but it wasn't enough for the Bills to look past the idea that they might give their division rival a jumpstart in their rebuilding efforts to go along with their No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye under center.
MORE: Texans QB CJ Stroud on Chiefs 2024 NFL draft pick Xavier Worthy: 'AFC just got harder'
The Patriots, meanwhile, used the No. 37 overall pick in the second round and the No. 110 pick in the third round on receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Both should be predominately featured in New England's offense in 2024 alongside veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster, second-year receiver Demario Douglas and veteran tight end Hunter Henry.
New England's loss is Kansas City's gain as the Chiefs added perhaps the most exciting weapon in the 2024 class. Worthy broke the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record this past spring and joins a collection of pass-catchers in Marquise Brown and tight end Travis Kelce. Second-year wideout Rashee Rice will be there as well, depending on how much or if the NFL suspends him for his off-field transgressions.
Worthy could be a work in progress, or he could become the missing piece of the Chiefs' offense that has already won back-to-back Super Bowls and wants a third.
