Chiefs GM needed 4 words to explain the Xavier Worthy pick

Since drafting Tyreek Hill in 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs have witnessed how speed can put an NFL team ahead of the competition. Hill was great when playing with former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, but he became transcendent when paired with Patrick Mahomes. Hill was integral in the Chiefs' success — until he suddenly wasn't.

When Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2022, the explosive elements of the Chiefs offense slowly began to deteriorate. The team adapted with the rest of its all-star cast and replenished needs in subsequent drafts, which allowed them to continue building a dynasty without Hill. Although the Chiefs have won two consecutive Super Bowls without Hill, they've never been able to replace him.

Clearly, Kansas City is hoping to change that. The Chiefs traded up four spots to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirms Xavier Worthy pick is about speed

Following the draft, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach confirmed the suspected reasoning behind the draft decision.

"It's a speed game," Veach said.

The Chiefs have chased speed in the draft and free agency in an attempt to replace Hill. In 2019, they drafted Mecole Hardman when there were questions about a potential suspension for Hill. They've drafted Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice in the second round of the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts, respectively. They acquired Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney. But no one — skill-wise or speed-wise — has come close to Hill.

The choice of Worthy isn't surprising — draft analysts have suspected for weeks that the Chiefs would choose the 6-foot-1 Texas prospect. When Worthy broke the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Combine in a blazing 4.21 seconds, he seemed like the prototypical Chiefs draft pick.

"Get Patrick Mahomes as many explosive targets as possible," Chad Reuter wrote in a mock draft for NFL.com. "Worthy's elite speed makes him a top downfield threat as well as an obvious option for jet sweeps and quick screens. He’s a much-needed versatile threat for the Chiefs."

Although Veach values speed, it's not the only defining trait in Worthy's game. He's an exceptional route runner with quick feet and the ability to accelerate and explode on vertical routes, leaving opponents in the dust. Worthy can make sharp cuts and turns that will throw off cornerbacks. These are the qualities that will allow Worthy to succeed in the NFL, but his speed is a serious plus.

Worthy is aware that NFL teams scouting him may only see speed, which has come to be a widely-critiqued quality following the Cincinnati Bengal's failure to convert John Ross' speed into NFL touchdowns. Before the draft, Worthy touted his ability to run routes and encouraged onlookers to look at his tape if they wondered if he offered more than speed.

“I feel like before the Combine, if I would have run something like a 4.3, they would have been like, ‘Oh, he’s a route runner’ — but now that I run a 4.2, it’s like, ‘He’s just fast,’” Worthy said, h/t Yahoo Sports. “My film’s there. I ran every route in the route tree. I got open on every route, was successful at every route. The film doesn’t lie.”

Chasing speed may not have worked out for the Chiefs, but chasing Worthy just might.