Worthy is the Longhorns wide receiver picked in the first round since Roy Williams in 2004.
Head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Pat Mahomes have another offensive weapon for the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after the franchise moved up from the No. 32 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the No. 28 to select Texas Longhorn wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
The only one Worthy.
With the 28th pick in the NFL Draft, we have selected @XavierWorthy! pic.twitter.com/enRBDQAVA5
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 26, 2024
Mahomes, who reacted publicly when Worthy set the NFL Combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash when he ran a 4.21, did so once again when the Chiefs selected the speedy Texas wide receiver.
♂️
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 26, 2024
“Xavier is a perfect fit in that explosive Chiefs offense. He obviously has electric, world class speed and clearly is a threat to go the distance any time he touches the ball, but he probably plays with more toughness than people give him credit for. He’s got the plethora of the route tree he can run, really understands coverages, is a highly intelligent football player, and can absolutely run all day. He really dedicated himself to grow in all facets of his game in his three years with us and became a great leader, too. He had a great freshman year where he made an immediate impact, but I loved the perseverance he showed coming out of year two when he dealt with some injuries, and then what he was able to do last year. He was a critical part of all the success we had — the Big 12 Championship, College Football Playoff and having one of the best offenses in the country. He made big plays, critical catches, was a much-improved blocker, and just did it all for us every time out,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said in a statement.
“It goes without saying, the speed is real and will make a big-time difference in the NFL. And the thing about Xavier is he ran that time, but that’s the way he practices every single day. Every rep is full speed. He has the ability to take the top off the defense, but he’s much more than that. He has tremendous route running ability and is a tireless worker at that. He has a very high football IQ and is extremely competitive. He gives you flexibility in the punt return game because he was a gamebreaker in that area, too. X is going to be an outstanding pro in every way, and Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the two-time Super Bowl Champions got them a great player and person. I’m so fired up to watch him in the NFL, he’s got a great career ahead of him and is in an awesome place for his skillset.”
In arguably one of the strongest fits in the opening round of this year’s draft, Worthy had made his preference to play for the Chiefs public during the pre-draft process.
“In a perfect world, I definitely want to go to the Chiefs,” Worthy said. “Just the way Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs improvise and use you. They had Tyreek Hill. The way they used him, I feel that would be a perfect fit for me.”
Now Worthy will go from playing for one of the best offensive minds in college football in Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian to one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Reid, along with one of the greatest playmaking quarterbacks in league history in Mahomes.
One reaction from an AFC general manager was succinct and to the point.
Text from an AFC GM on the #Chiefs getting Xavier Worthy: “FU** me” https://t.co/IjLQ7xeN37
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 26, 2024