The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and they’ve stacked their roster with talent from top to bottom. However, the team’s most recent first-round draft pick might hold the key to their success. Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy has superstar potential, and, if anybody can unlock another level of Patrick Mahomes’ excellence, it’s a young receiver of Worthy’s archetype.
Xavier Worthy was drafted in the first round
The Chiefs used their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to select Worthy, the speedster out of the University of Texas. Worthy ran a blazing 4.21 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which set a record as the fastest 40-time in NFL history. However, he’s much more than just a speedster.
The incoming rookie has advanced route running ability and he's elite when it comes to tracking the football in the air and adjusting to catch passes that are thrown slightly off the mark.
Mahomes is an incredibly accurate passer, but he likes to make a lot of throws on the run and from a variety of unorthodox arm angles. This sometimes leads to his passes being close to their target but slightly off. Players who can adjust and make difficult catches for Mahomes best friend.
Takes the pressure off Travis Kelce
One thing that Worthy would certainly do if he proves himself is help to take the pressure off of All-World tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce is a superstar, but even he is susceptible to being slowed down by double teams, or even the occasional triple team.
There aren’t many players who can hang with Kelce and bother him one-on-one, but without another star, defensive coordinators can throw multiple defenders at the Chiefs’ tight end. This makes it possible to slow him down or at least make the tight end work extra hard for his catches.
Fighting through multiple defenders forces Kelce to exert more effort, making him less effective as a blocker and in the fourth quarter. That strategy can also slow down his production and prevent him from simply dominating the game.
Patrick Mahomes can get the job done, but a star receiver helps
Mahomes is undoubtedly the best quarterback in the NFL today, and he’s arguably one of the top five quarterbacks to ever play the game. He’s more than capable of leading Kansas City to victory even without a star-studded roster around him. That being said, even a superstar like Mahomes could use the help.
Tom Brady could win with any wide receiver room in the world, but it was certainly easier when he had Mike Evans and Wes Welker.
Even Mahomes runs into trouble occasionally, and he could still benefit from having a go-to receiver, somebody he can just loft the ball up to and trust his guy to make a play.
Additionally, just like Tyreek Hill, Worthy helps maximize Mahomes’ talents because of his unique skill set.
Mahomes’ best qualities are his arm strength, creativity, and ability to throw an accurate deep ball. He also has a preternatural ability to adjust inside or outside of the pocket and make accurate, powerful throws from a variety of arm slots.
Insurance against a Rashee Rice suspension
A breakout season from Worthy would also serve as an insurance policy for standout wide receiver Rashee Rice.
Rice enjoyed a mini breakout of his own towards the end of last season, and his explosion onto the scene culminated with a coming-out party in the playoffs. Rice was a significant contributor and showed the potential to become a WR1 in the future. Unfortunately for Rice and the Chiefs, he had multiple incidents this off-season that jeopardized his active playing status.
First, Rice was involved in a serious car accident, and it is alleged that he and some friends were drag racing on a Dallas highway leading up to the accident. It has also been alleged that Rice had guns and drugs in the car at the time of the crash.
None of this has yet been proven in a court of law, but it will likely be going to a civil trial in December of this year. The NFL has so far decided to hold off on issuing any potential suspension or other punishment for Rice pending the outcome of the trial. However, if the outcome is against Rice, it is likely that the league will suspend him.
It’s possible that they could suspend him even if the judgment is in his favor. Either way, it’s looking increasingly likely that Rice will face some sort of suspension for the incident. Given the timing of the trial, it’s possible that the suspension could come during this stretch run of the regular season or even during the postseason.
Needless to say, that would not be an ideal outcome for the Chiefs. A breakout performance from Worthy would provide Mahomes and Andy Reid with more options if Rice were to be suspended.
Reminiscent of Tyreek Hill
The Chiefs have tried to find a Tyreek Hill clone ever since the star walked out of the building and joined Tua Tagovailoa down in South Beach. While Hill is enjoying the sunshine and nice weather in Miami, though, the Chiefs have been unable to find a player who comes close to replicating what he does. The aforementioned Rice wins by route-running as opposed to pure speed, while Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore haven’t lived up to their potential.
Worthy represents the Chiefs taking another shot at the Tyreek Hill archetype, and if he pans out, Mahomes could have another player similar to the receiver he enjoyed the most success with.
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