The Chiefs drafted a new weapon for Patrick Mahomes in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kansas City traded up with the Bills to take Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 overall pick in a move that now gives Mahomes three quality starting receivers in Worthy, Rashee Rice and Marquise. Oh yeah, and star tight end Travis Kelce is still kicking it.
Mahomes didn't take long to respond to the trade, but he only needed one emoji to express himself. The reigning Super Bowl MVP posted a simple 😎 emoji following the pick on social media, a small indication he endorsed the decision.
😎
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 26, 2024
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Chiefs pick Texas WR Xavier Worthy
Worthy was the fifth receiver taken in the first round after Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze and Brian Thomas Jr. But the Chiefs had to send the Nos. 32, 95 and 221 picks to the Bills to move up to grab him.
While his slender 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame could be a concern, Worthy showed off insane speed on tape as well as at the NFL Combine. He broke the NFL 40-yard dash record with a time of 4.21 seconds. On the field, he wracked up 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns in 39 career games.
NFL analysts compared Worthy favorably to a few recent similar-looking pass-catchers: Texans wide receiver Tank Dell and Ravens receiver Zay Flowers. Both were early-round picks in 2023 and both enjoyed good seasons in 2023. Dell is almost identical in size to Worthy, while Flowers is smaller than both but weighs a little more.
CHIEFS DRAFT PICKS 2024: Full list of NFL Draft selections for Chiefs
Where Worthy fits in Chiefs offense
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach almost completely remade the pass-catching corps this offseason after a 2023 year of instability. Brown and Worthy should immediately take on the roles left behind by Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the cavalcade of players behind him like Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Justin Watson and Justyn Ross.
Worthy, like Brown, is a burner who should see a lot of action on post and out routes in Kansas City. He ran post routes on 14% of his snaps, per Reception Perception with a 72.7% success rate. On dig routes, Worthy had an 81% success rate.
So while Brown, Rice and Kelce eat up the short and intermediate marks, Worthy projects to be the big-play burner the Chiefs haven't seen since Tyreek Hill.
