The Kansas City Chiefs once again have proved that their drafting abilities are the reason they remain successful. With hopes of the 2025 NFL Draft class showcasing what they have to add to the roster sooner rather than later, it was the 2024 draft class that stepped up in a huge way to assist last season.
The biggest star that emerged for the Chiefs from their 2024 draft class was their first-round pick, Xavier Worthy. Worthy quickly became one of the more reliable wide receivers in the offensive game plan once Rashee Rice went down to injury. Worthy also showed that he is a player to build the future around as well.
Ending his rookie campaign with the second-most receiving yards on the roster with 638 in 59 receptions, Worthy has set the bar for how he can grow. Needing to take a giant leap forward to ensure the Chiefs are competitive in a now-stacked AFC West division, Worthy needs to become a leader.
While the 59 receptions added well to the offense, Worthy was targeted 98 times, which brings him to a reception rate of 60.2%. If Worthy wants to elevate his game, the reception rate will need to increase. While 60.2% isn’t bad whatsoever, it’s an area of growth that Worthy could focus on going into his second season.
Not knowing the timeline of Rice’s return to the Chiefs, as well as the decreased production that tight end Travis Kelce has shown these last two seasons, a big breakout would come for Worthy if he leads the franchise in receiving yards for the 2025 campaign.
In a recent CBS Sports article published by Garrett Podell, Worthy headlines the second-year players who could see massive improvements in their second season.
“Enter wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the 28th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft,” Podell wrote, following detailing how Worthy needs to step up in place of Kelce. “Worthy’s 638 yards receiving were the second-most by a Chief in 2024 behind Kelce’s 823, but they were only the fifth-most among the first-round receivers selected in 2024. He’ll evolve into Mahomes’ go-to guy in 2025, which will help catapult the speedster to stardom.”
