Chiefs trade up to No. 28, draft WR with record-setting speed

The Chiefs have moved up the draft board. The team has acquired pick No. 28 from the Bills, along with picks No. 133 and No. 248. In exchange, Buffalo will receive No. 32, No. 95 and No. 221.

With their newfound pick, the Chiefs have addressed a recent position of need: wide receiver. The organization has selected Texas wideout Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick. This will pair Patrick Mahomes with a player who just set the NFL Scouring Combine's 40-yard dash record — at 4.21 seconds.

The Chiefs have given their megastar quarterback two new wide receivers this offseason. Neither Worthy nor Marquise Brown bring much in the way of size to Kansas City’s lineup; Brown goes 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds while Worthy checked in at 5-11, 165. That could bring some challenges for the Chiefs, who are coming off an uneven — well, as far as Super Bowl-winning seasons go — campaign. The WR position played a central role in Kansas City stumbling through the 2023 slate on offense.

Worthy’s blazing Indianapolis sprint obviously enhanced his prospect profile, but the ex-Longhorns pass catcher is coming off a productive college career. Worthy led last year’s Texas iteration in receptions (75) and receiving yards (1,014). Worthy was not a breakout player in 2023, either, having produced from 2021-23 with the Big 12 program. He totaled 12 touchdowns as a freshman — a 981-yard debut — and added nine TD grabs in 2022.

Consistency certainly would help a Chiefs team that received anything but at the receiver position last year. Placing high hopes on Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, Kansas City saw neither would-be regular develop into a trustworthy option for Mahomes. The Chiefs’ receiving corps led the NFL in drops, and by season’s end, the team had become more effective with Toney and Moore sidelined. Moore finished the season on IR, while Toney — after his healthiest NFL season — strangely questioned his injury status in a recorded rant before the AFC championship game. The Chiefs made Toney a healthy scratch for Super Bowl LVIII. Although Andy Reid said Toney remains in the picture for the 2024 Chiefs, the ex-Giants first-rounder appears on the verge of wearing out his welcome with a second NFL franchise.

Given the Chiefs’ one-sided rivalry (in the playoffs, that is) against the Bills, it is interesting Buffalo enabled the two-time reigning champions to bolster their threepeat quest with Worthy. The Bills will enter Day 2 with work to do at wide receiver; the Chiefs work here, during an offseason that has admittedly seen more trouble emerge (via Rashee Rice‘s hit-and-run arrest, which produced eight felony charges), is largely done.

Of course, the team will await word on Rice — its saving grace at wide receiver last season. The 2023 second-rounder remains critical to Kansas City’s 2024 plan, though Brown and Worthy stand to help the cause.