Mel Kiper breaks down Xavier Worthy draft stock after record 40-yard dash
Texas receiver Xavier Worthy sent the entire NFL Draft community into a frenzy after posting a record-breaking time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this past week.
Worthy, at 5-foot-11 2/8 and 165 pounds, ran a 4.21, breaking a Combine record set by Washington’s John Ross in 2017 (4.22). Already in the discussion to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Worthy could soon climb up boards and become a “mid to late first-round” pick, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said Monday.
“I’ll say this about Xavier Worthy, he had the hand injury, remember the broken hand two years ago and he had some drops,” Kiper said. “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. “
Xavier Worthy makes millions after Combine performance
In ESPN analyst Jordan Reid’s two-round mock draft posted Tuesday, he predicted Worthy get selected by the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with pick No. 32 in the first-round.
Worthy is coming off a monster year at Texas, totaling 75 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Across three seasons with the Longhorns, he hauled in 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 scores. Worthy earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2021 and 2023 and second-team honors in 2022.