Offensive Rookie of the Year is a hard award to predict.
Quarterbacks have won it seven times since 2010, and the 2024 rookie class featured six passers who could start as soon as Week 1. However, wide receivers have been on the rise for the award recently. Garrett Wilson and Ja'Marr Chase won in 2021 and 2022 after only one receiver had taken ROY since 2010.
This year could feature the third receiver to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Seven wideouts were selected in the first round from pick No. 4 (Cardinals' Marvin Harrison Jr.) to No. 32 (Panthers' Xavier Leggette). All seven are quality players, but ESPN NFL Draft expert Matt Miller picked Xavier Worthy as his OROY win over Harrison, No. 1 overall selection Caleb Williams and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels.
"Having Worthy, the fastest player ever tested at the combine, paired with reigning Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes makes Worthy the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year in my book," Miller wrote.
If Worthy, the No. 28 overall pick, can replicate even a piece of what Tyreek Hill did in that offense, his candidacy is certainly on the table. While no one else on ESPN's panel picked Worthy to win OROY, others expect the young Chiefs wideout to have a great season. Andscape's Jason Reid believes Worthy will be the Hill-like catalyst for Kansas City's offense, while former Jets and Dolphins general manager Mike Tannenbaum wrote that he thinks Worthy will score 10 touchdowns to help the Chiefs make their seventh consecutive AFC title game.
That's high praise for a player whose biggest acclaim is setting the NFL Combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.21 seconds. Worthy also produced in college at Texas where he caught 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns in 39 career games.
The issues with Worthy's candidacy are twofold: He's not very big at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds and might not play enough to garner the production necessary to outperform other OROY favorites like Williams, Harrison and Daniels.
Worthy will likely open the 2024 season as — at best — the Chiefs' No. 3 receiving option behind tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Marquise Brown. Worthy could even slip to fourth if Rashee Rice doesn't miss a lot of time from two off-field incidents or if he's unable to jump Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore or Justin Watson on the depth chart.
However, players with Worthy's frame have performed well at the next level. Texans rookie wideout Tank Dell looked on his way to a Pro Bowl campaign before a season-ending leg injury, and Ravens first-year receiver Zay Flowers was the team's top offensive threat after tight end Mark Andrews was lost for the year.
There is a lot of time between now and when the Rookie of the Year will be crowned at the end of the season. But the buzz around Worthy is already palpable.
