Xavier Worthy, the Texas receiver, set the entire NFL Draft community abuzz with his remarkable performance in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis last week.
Standing at 5-foot-11 2/8 and weighing 165 pounds, Worthy shattered records with a lightning-fast time of 4.21 seconds, eclipsing the previous Combine record set by Washington’s John Ross in 2017 (4.22). Already considered a contender for a first-round selection in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, Worthy may now surge up draft boards and potentially become a "mid to late first-round" pick, according to ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., as stated on Monday.
Reflecting on Worthy's journey, Kiper commented, “I’ll say this about Xavier Worthy, he had the hand injury, remember the broken hand two years ago and he had some drops. But he played through that, and he took some criticism, but he had the injury. Sark even said, ‘Hey, don’t forget he was hurt.’ And he played through it, he never complained. And he goes out there this year and he improves in that area. He’s a space guy, he can be the guy down the field making plays. You saw the speed, you saw the big play ability, you saw how dangerous he was after the catch, you saw how he can just leave guys in his wake."
“Xavier Worthy was in the first-round mix before he ran 4.21. We thought he’d run in the 4.3s, he ran 4.21 which is amazing. He’s still running. This kid is still running. So, at the end of the day, Field, he’s not Darrius Heyward-Bey who’s gonna jump into the top-10, maybe he could. … I think he deserves to be in that discussion I’d say 15-25 range. I thought 25-32, maybe it’ll bump him into the mid to late first-round instead of a late one, early to mid-two."
In ESPN analyst Jordan Reid’s two-round mock draft released on Tuesday, Worthy was projected to be selected by the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, with the 32nd overall pick in the first-round.
Worthy's performance at Texas during the past season was outstanding, amassing 75 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Over his three seasons with the Longhorns, he accumulated 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns. Worthy was honored with first-team All-Big 12 distinctions in 2021 and 2023, along with second-team honors in 2022.
