The NFL Combine had a clear winner, and his name was Xavier Worthy. Not only was he the fastest man at the week-long event in Indianapolis last month, but if you ask him, he wants to catch passes from Quarterback Patrick Mahomes next season.
Xavier Worthy is a bit difficult to gauge. For one, I’ve seen his height listed as 6’1 and 5’11 (the latter seems to be accurate either way. He’s a little on the light side at around 165 pounds, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to put on a little weight.
The big thing that has people buzzing about Worthy is his speed. Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs held an interview with him, as they like their speedy receivers for better or worse. He killed his 40 times at the combine at 4.21 seconds. There is more to Xavier than speed, though.
He’s very agile and can make sharp cuts on short routes while eluding defenders. His speed and quickness mean he always had to be accounted for on the field, potentially opening up his teammates on the field.
He runs clean, crisp routes with consistency, making him a reliable target. He has a good release off the line of scrimmage facing press coverage, and his quick footwork allows him to beat jams and get into his routes clean. He has natural hands and great ball-tracking ability.
He would like to be a Chief.
“In a perfect world, I definitely would 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 like that would be a perfect fit for me.”
Strengths:
- Deep speed requires additional defensive attention.
- Creates space and loosens coverage for teammates.
- Separation is inevitable when routes ask less of him.
- Displayed ball-tracking improvements against Alabama and Houston.
- Has bend and agility to run post-corner and whip routes effectively.
- Opposing defenses will have problems if he breaks a tackle after the catch.
Weaknesses:
- Thin and lacking functional strength to fight through the press.
- He needs to improve efficiency and quickness getting off the ball.
- A lack of hand strength gets him bullied on contested catches.
- He takes reps off when he’s not expecting the throw to come his way.
- He needs to adjust his speed to ball placement consistently enough.
Worthy is one of my favorite wide-receiving prospects this year, but there is much to offer in this year’s class, and it’s possible with his 40 times, he may go too early for the Chiefs to take him.
If he falls into the right spot, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs take him before they take a receiver.
