Field Yates Says Chiefs Picking Xavier Worthy Was Best Trade of 2024 NFL Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't move up the board too much to take Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the 2024 NFL draft, but it was the most savvy deal so far in the eyes of ESPN's Field Yates.

The Chiefs gave up the No. 32, 95 and 221 picks to acquire the 28th, 133rd and 248th overall selections. Yates called it the best trade in the first round.

"My consistent evaluation of Worthy during the pre-draft process was that he would be an ideal fit for a team that won't press him into No. 1 receiver duties out of the gates," he wrote. "And Kansas City won't, with Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown in town."

The 5'11" wideout ranked 50th overall on Bleacher Report's final big board, so Kansas City reached in that respect. His upside justified such an aggressive gamble, especially for a team like the Chiefs.

Worthy had 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns in three years with the Longhorns, and his record-breaking 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine is what turned heads more than anything else.

The two-time reigning Super Bowl champions still haven't fully replaced the downfield threat they lost when trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. Patrick Mahomes' 6.9 adjusted yards per attempt in 2023 were his lowest ever over a full season, per Pro Football Reference.

By signing Marquise Brown, Kansas City found a dimension it lacked in the passing game, but he might only be a stopgap after having signed only a one-year deal. Worthy could emerge as the true long-term successor to Hill.