Tag: Xavier Worthy

Why Bears should consider drafting Texas WR Xavier Worthy

The Bears could look to add a receiver in the NFL draft. If they elect to trade down, speedster Xavier Worthy should be a name to watch.

The Chicago Bears are doing their due diligence when it comes to the 2024 NFL draft. There’s no doubt that they’ll select quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, but there’s more intrigue at No. 9, where wide receiver is an option.

They’re likely are out of range for Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. (unless they elect to trade up). But one of Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers may be available (especially with a projected early run on quarterbacks), but that isn’t a guarantee either. If they want to make a difference in that position with this draft, they may need to get creative.

Someone that they might think about is Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, who could be drafted anywhere from Nos. 20-40 and nobody would be surprised. He broke the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time in the history of the NFL combine (4.21), which has raised his draft stock a little bit.

The Bears hosted Worthy for a Top 30 visit at Halas Hall on Monday, which was certainly notable. Chicago doesn’t have a second-round pick this year, so they might have to trade down from No. 9 to select him. There are plenty of teams in the bottom third of the first round that may consider moving up to the ninth selection for someone else that they want. If the Bears can add more picks to the draft and still land a player like Worthy, it might be something to consider.

If Worthy came to Chicago, he’d be surrounded by other great receivers like DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. There are other playmakers on hand, including tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift. All of these weapons would be great for Williams in his rookie year, but they would also be great for a young receiver with a high ceiling like Worthy.

Trading down was always an option for the Bears and the way that Worthy’s stock is rising might make it even better for them if they can also get him. With that type of speed, the sky is the limit for him in the NFL.

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2024 NFL Draft: Texas WR Xavier Worthy scouting report

Texas receiver Xavier Worthy’s record-breaking speed shows up on the field, but his limitations could impede his NFL journey.

Speed kills, and absolute speed kills absolutely. Texas receiver Xavier Worthy has absolute speed.

It was easy enough to diagnose that from watching his game tape, but when Worthy went to the 2024 scouting combine and set the record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, that was the clincher. And it was the only instance in which Worthy put up preposterous numbers.

Now, the height/weight profile could be a problem. There are other smaller speed receivers who have succeeded in the NFL, but the guys who have done it in the modern era generally check in a bit heavier — more on the 180-pound scale.

So, will Worthy’s NFL team stick with his weight as is, or try to beef him up a bit without losing any of that explosive potential? We can but wait and see.

PLUSES

— Record-breaking speed shows up on the field; Worthy can house a handoff or a quick screen, and he’s very adept at gaining separation in a straight line downfield.

— Has a nice sense of foot feints to get off press at the line of scrimmage and will then head into Acceleration Mode.

— Turns into his routes with little need to slow down and re-accelerate.

— Wins with late hands to the ball as it’s coming in.

— His ability to get open and up to top speed out of motion could make him a terrifying target in the right NFL offense.

— Not just a go/post/seam guy, Worthy will stick his foot in the ground to re-direct, and he’s got a pretty diverse route profile.

MINUSES

— For all his explosive potential, Worthy had just six catches of 20 or more air yards last season on 23 targets for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

— Focus drops are a legitimate issue; Worthy doesn’t have much of a catch radius, and he isn’t excited about heading into traffic.

— Blocking is more performative than effective.

— Creates YAC with speed as opposed to any sort of physicality; he’s not a contested catch player in the traditional sense, and his after-contact potential is iffy.

Worthy is more of a nuanced receiver than the speed numbers would have you believe. On the other hand, he isn’t as explosively effective as you’d like for a guy with his rare traits. A lot of that can be worked through with NFL coaching, but 5′ 11¼” and 165 pounds is what it is. Worthy’s NFL team had best have a clear plan for his schematic success.

Record-setting WR Xavier Worthy has top-30 visit with Cardinals Tuesday

Worthy is one of two prospects with official visits with the Cardinals on Tuesday.

The Arizona Cardinals are busy hosting NFL draft prospects for their 30 official visits. They have at least two in town on Tuesday for top-30 visits. One is LSU offensive lineman Charles Turner III, a report we previously knew of. A second has been reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Per Rapoport, the Cardinals are hosting Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy on Tuesday as well.

Worthy, of course, is famous for setting the NFL combine record for the fastest 40 time ever — 4.21 seconds.

He is 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds and also posted a 41-inch vertical leap and 131-inch broad jump.

Everything about Worthy athletically is elite. Everything about his measurables — weight, hand size, arm length — is well below average.

He was productive at Texas. Last season, he had 75 receptions for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns. He wasn’t just a one-year wonder, either. As a freshman in 2021, he had 62 catches for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns.

His combine performance made it so he might be drafted in the first round. The Cardinals have the fourth and 27th picks in the draft. He could be available when they pick 27th if they don’t get a receiver with their first selection.

The NFL draft begins with the first round on Thursday, April 25.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Bears to host WRs Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Xavier Worthy this week

The three receivers, along with edge rusher Laiatu Latu, will visit Halas Hall this week.

There are only a few short weeks until the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway in Detroit, and the Chicago Bears are continuing to do their homework in regards to possible players they might select with their four draft picks. While it’s become increasingly likely the Bears will select quarterback Caleb Williams with the top selection, they still have their No. 9 selection to work with, and given their upcoming visits, it appears they’re zeroing in on one or two positions.

The Bears are set to bring in a number of wide receivers and an edge rusher this week on their top 30 visits. According to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain, Chicago is bringing in wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Worthy, and defensive end Laiatu Latu on Monday.

Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is saying wide receiver Malik Nabers will be visiting on Wednesday.

Harrison and Nabers are considered by many to be the top two wideouts in this year’s draft. Harrison was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year after totaling 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns for Ohio State, nearly matching his impressive 2022 season. Nabers, meanwhile, exploded with Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels under center. The LSU receiver totaled 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in a breakout season. Harrison and Nabers are mortal locks to be picked inside the top 10.

As for Worthy, he’s a receiver who could be in play should the Bears trade down and recoup some picks. He had a modest season at Texas with 1,014 yards and five touchdowns, but made huge waves at this year’s NFL Combine when he broke the 40-yard-dash record with a time of 4.21 seconds. He’s someone with blazing speed and could be a target on Day 2. It sounds like he welcomes the idea of becoming a Bear, too, given that he posted a photo on Instagram and tagged Williams as he was landing at the airport.

Chicago is bringing in plenty of receivers, but they’re still doing their due diligence on the edge rushers as well. Latu is considered to be one of the top edge rushers in this year’s draft and could be the top one overall if his medicals are of no concern. He totaled 23.5 sacks at UCLA over his last two seasons, including 21.5 tackles for a loss in 2023. While it may be unlikely the Bears select him at No. 9 overall, he would be someone in play if a trade down were to happen.

The Bears have had plenty of visits up to this point, and more are sure to happen before the draft gets underway, but it’s becoming clear they’re in the market for another receiver or an edge rusher. Time will tell whether any of these players hear their names called at the end of the month.

NFL.com’s latest five-round mock draft includes eight Longhorns

Texas DT Byron Murphy is taken off the board at No. 11 overall and RB Jonathon Brooks is projected in the first round.

The 2024 NFL draft begins in 20 days. Continue reading “NFL.com’s latest five-round mock draft includes eight Longhorns”

The 2024 NFL Draft receiving class is maybe the deepest we’ve seen

The 2024 NFL Draft receiving class is maybe the deepest we’ve seen

When it comes to the NFL Draft every class has a certain strength or weakness at each given position, in the 2024 class the strength of the wide receiver position sticks out unlike any other receiver class we have seen in some time.

Though recent history has blessed the league with a truck load of talented young pass catchers, it’s hard to look back and see one quite as stacked as this upcoming one. With certified studs littering the top ten on the majority of big boards in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze, that really only scratches the surfaces level on just how good this class is, which is saying something.

 

Past the likely top ten picks in this class there is a possibility of anywhere from two to four more receivers drafted into the first round. Adonai Mitchell, Brian Robinson Jr., Xavier Legette, Xavier Worthy, and a few more all have made cases for a potential first-round selection.

Beyond the first round the receiver position is also the most solid in day two of the draft, with two handfuls of receivers projected to go fairly early in the second day. The drop-off from day two to day three isn’t even as steep as one might think, as it’s possible to find a starter past round three in this completely loaded class.

Between the top end talent and the projected starters all the way into day three, it might be safe to call this class one of, if not the best receiver class we have seen in recent years.

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Three Longhorns projected in first round of latest NFL mock draft

A trio of Longhorns could hear their name called on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL draft.

We’re less than a month away from the 2024 NFL draft. Continue reading “Three Longhorns projected in first round of latest NFL mock draft”

Panthers trade up into 1st round of latest NFL.com mock draft

The Panthers, in NFL.com’s latest mock draft, trade up into the first round for a Texas WR. But which one did they do it for?

A move up into the first round of the 2024 draft could be a pretty pricey one for the Carolina Panthers, especially after their move up into the first round of the 2023 draft. But is there a prospect worthy of it?

NFL.com lead draft writer Eric Edholm believes there is, so he jumps on the opportunity in his newest mock. Edholm has the Panthers striking a deal with the Detroit Lions to squeeze into the 29th overall position for University of Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

He writes:

If the Panthers are willing to fork over a fourth-rounder (which Detroit currently lacks) to move up from early in Round 2, they could snag the draft’s best speedball in this range. Worthy would add some life to the team’s pass-catching unit, giving Bryce Young a Jaylen Waddle type of talent. Carolina needs weapons and might be itchy to move up in Dan Morgan’s maiden draft as GM.

Earlier this month, Worthy showed off his premium jets in Indianapolis by setting a new combine record for the 40-yard dash (4.21 seconds). His numbers in his three seasons as a Longhorn were also impressive, as he totaled 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns.

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Cardinals to host speedy WR Xavier Worthy for top-30 visit

Worthy could be a first-round pick after setting a combine record with a 4.21-second 40.

The Arizona Cardinals need help at wide receiver and, as they lost Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore in the offseason while only adding Chris Moore (who only had 22 catches in 2023), we have to assume they will draft at least one receiver next month.

They have interest in a few.

One name to watch is Texas wideout Xavier Worthy.

According to Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler, the Cardinals are one of two teams scheduled to have a top-30 official visit with Worthy.

Worthy made news at the NFL combine, setting a record with his 4.21-second 40. It was the fastest time ever recorded at the combine.

He is 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, but has speed and explosiveness. He also logged a 41-inch vertical leap.

He wasn’t just a fast, non-productive player. He had 75 receptions for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns for the Longhorns last season.

As a freshman in 2021, he had 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 scores, averaging 15.8 yards per catch.

Many believe with his combine performance he will be drafted in the first round. Should the Cardinals not take a receiver with their first selection, Worthy could very much be in play at No. 27 if he is still available.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Six Longhorns projected in first two rounds of Chad Reuter’s mock draft

Xavier Worthy is the first Longhorn off the board in Chad Reuter’s four-round mock draft.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter published his updated four-round mock draft on Friday. Continue reading “Six Longhorns projected in first two rounds of Chad Reuter’s mock draft”