Arrowhead Pride
The wide receiver from Texas has more to his game than just speed.
With the 32nd pick of the first round, the Kansas City Chiefs selected wide receiver Xavier Worthy from the University of Texas. Worthy drew headlines by running the fastest 40-yard dash time ever recorded at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Worthy’s speed is unmatched, but he has plenty of other aspects to his game that will make him an exciting prospect.
Great speed comes with the ability to take the top off of defenses, and the Chiefs could not pass up a chance to give Patrick Mahomes a weapon downfield.
Texas goes with the deep ball, and Worthy ends up in a one-on-one situation with the high safety. Worthy blows past the safety with the elite speed but still must come up with the pass. Turning his head, he can track the ball perfectly, and he makes a sensational over-the-shoulder catch for a touchdown.
Outside of a few explosive plays during the 2023 Playoffs, the Chiefs could not throw the deep ball for most of the season. This had little to do with Mahomes and more to do with the lack of consistency in catching the ball down the field.
Worthy should provide the Chiefs with the spark they need to bring these plays back.
The elite speed isn’t just useful for the deep ball; it can turn a moderate gain into an explosive play.
Worthy runs a routine out route, but the cornerback is giving him space to prevent him from going deep. The space is fine for stopping the long ball, but when Worthy cuts out, the space comes back to hurt the corner.
Worthy hauls in the pass, the corner whiffs, and Worthy is off to the races. Giving Worthy too much space can lead to explosive yards after catch plays.
The most impressive part of Worthy’s game is his ability to create quick transitions and his ability to stop and cut on a dime.
Sometimes, quicker players can have trouble hitting their top speed and motoring down; Worthy has the agility and core strength necessary to stop on a dime.
During the 2023 season, he had to use this ability more frequently because teams gave him extra attention and played deeper coverage on him. This coverage prevented deep balls, but they allowed Worthy to flourish underneath.
Teams altered their coverage looks to slow down Worthy around the line and disrupt his routes, but used his transitional speed to blow by them.
Whether teams decided to attempt to jam him or give him space to operate, Worthy had an answer. As the defensive back approaches the line of scrimmage, he attempts to muddle Worthy’s route.
In one quick motion, Worthy plants and blows past him. The ability to track the deep ball takes over next, which is a big gain for the Longhorns.
With so much space between him and the defender, there...
