The Kansas City Chiefs added another weapon to veteran quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ arsenal on Thursday night by drafting speedy Longhorn wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the 28th overall pick. Worthy’s first-round selection marked the second of the evening as he joined teammate Byron Murphy II who was selected 12 spots earlier by the Seattle Seahawks.
Worthy started and played in 39 games for the Texas Longhorns and established himself as one of the best to play wideout on the 40 Acres. All-time, he ranks third in touchdown receptions (26), fourth in receiving yards (2,755), sixth in receptions (197) and eighth in punt return yards (564). Worthy had the second-best career punt return average by a Texas player (14.5) and season (16.9 in 2023).
What head coach Steve Sarkisian had to say about Xavier Worthy’s selection by Kansas City
“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.”
“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.”
Worthy becomes the first Texas wide receiver drafted in the first round since Roy Williams (2004) and the 10th Longhorn drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in team history.
