Chiefs lose out on ideal WR prospect to rival in latest Mel Kiper Jr. mock draft

Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is approximately two weeks away. So, it is only a matter of time before teams reveal their cards and shed light on the smokescreens.

While it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction based on rumors we have heard throughout the scouting and evaluation process, some reports/projects hold more weight than others, like the Kansas City Chiefs routinely being connected to wide receivers with the last pick in the first round of the draft.

Despite signing speedy wideout Marquise "Hollywood" Brown this offseason, many feel the Chiefs need additional pass-catchers with playmaking juice, especially as legendary tight end Travis Kelce enters the latter stages of his illustrious career. 

However, Kansas City is not the only team in the market for a young, high-end receiver. They are not even the only ones in the AFC West in search of a prospect of this nature, which ESPN football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. points out in his most recent mock draft, where he predicts that the Chiefs will lose out on an ideal wideout prospect to their divisional rivals – the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mel Kiper Jr. projects Chiefs to miss out on WR Xavier Worthy to Chargers

In this scenario, Kiper has the Chargers acquiring the No. 11 and 23 picks from the Minnesota Vikings, who move up to the No. 5 spot to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Worthy was projected to fall to the Chiefs at pick No. 32 in Kiper's mock draft from Feb. 28. But that was before he set the scouting combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash time ever (4.21 seconds), which helped his draft stock mightily and put him in position to be off the board well before Kansas City is on the clock.

A senior standout at Texas in 2023, Worthy caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns, putting his explosiveness and big-play ability on full display. However, the Chiefs will likely have to look elsewhere to land a receiver in the first round if Kiper's updated mock draft is any indication. 

Instead of adding Worthy to their roster, the Chiefs could face him at least twice a year for the foreseeable future if he winds up with the Chargers. Kiper forecasts Kansas City will pivot to Xavier Legette of South Carolina if/when they miss out on the speedy Longhorn.