Most experts and analysts are expecting the Kansas City Chiefs to spend their 2024 first rounder on the wide receiver position.

Add ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. to that list, as the long-time NFL draft pundit predicted that KC would select Texas Longhorns WR Xavier Worthy at No. 32 overall on February 28.

“I don’t see a reason to change the position here,” Kiper noted. “The Chiefs had major issues at receiver last season — their pass-catchers led the league in drops (38).”

“The word I’ve used to describe Worthy is electrifying, because he has amazing movement skills in space,” the veteran analyst went on. “He can score from any spot on the field. He had 26 receiving touchdowns over three seasons at Texas.”

Along with the good, Kiper did acknowledge one potential issue when it comes to Worthy joining the Chiefs.

“The one problem with this fit is that Worthy had his share of drops in 2022,” he stated. “[The Longhorn] cut those in half last season (from 10 to 5). Most of those were concentration drops. I can see why Chiefs fans might worry about a speedy playmaker who has problems holding on to the ball, but Worthy showed last season that he’s past the issue.”

Xavier Worthy Chiefs Prediction Is Reminiscent of Mecole Hardman Selection in 2019
Worthy is the second wide receiver out of Texas that Kansas City has been connected to this winter, and this potential target fits a skill set that the Chiefs have already drafted in the past.

Tyreek Hill was the original playmaking speed demon selection in KC that bled into the Patrick Mahomes era, but Worthy is more reminiscent of Mecole Hardman standing at a skinny 6-foot and 165 pounds. A second-round talent out of Georgia, Hardman was initially pegged as another Hill — although it didn’t turn out that way.

Now Hardman is a free agent again, and perhaps, general manager Brett Veach takes another stab at this field-stretching role in 2024. After all, the Chiefs were supposedly interested in trading up for a comparable rookie in Zay Flowers last April.

The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez described Worthy as “an explosive playmaker who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.” Adding that he displays “explosive vertical speed,” quick acceleration and “plus-level” route running.

Similarly, Bleacher Report draft scout Derrik Klassen labeled Worthy as “a bet on exceptional speed and explosiveness at the cost of size and consistency.”

“Worthy has a ton of juice,” Klassen explained. “A quick-twitch player at his core, he erupts off the line of scrimmage and kicks into high gear almost immediately. He has the kind of speed that can fundamentally change how a defense calls coverages.”

The Bleacher Report analyst also referred to Worthy as a “weapon at the line of scrimmage,” which strikes an obvious chord with Andy Reid. The Chiefs love to get creative with their screens and trick play designs, and Worthy could provide a boost over Hardman in this regard.

Klassen’s player comp for Worthy was Detroit Lions rookie Jameson Williams, although he projected a much lower draft value in round three due to questions about his size, strength and hands.

Mecole Hardman May Have Talked His Way off Chiefs Roster in 2024
Speaking of Hardman, his recent interview with The Pivot Podcast might cost him a new contract with KC in 2024.

It’s unclear if the wide receiver’s comments will result in any organizational consequences at this time, but the public relations fiasco has created a headache at the minimum.

First, Hardman claimed that he reached out to Veach and Mahomes about a trade while under contract with the New York Jets. If there’s any truth to that, and his attempts at contact were reciprocated, that would violate the NFL policies on “tampering.”

It didn’t end there. After insulting the Jets organization on the podcast, Hardman was accused of leaking NYJ game plans to the Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs — which could be even more serious than his unverified tampering admission.

Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner was among those insinuating this claim on social media.

“Never had talks with KC before the trade, so we can CLEAR THAT UP!” Hardman clarified on X after the tampering questions. “The Jets handled my trade on their own and did the right thing by sending me back to KC!”

He did not reply to the claims about leaking information, but did post “📞📞📞” on X.

Even if none of this results in a penalty, Hardman’s careless interview could dissuade the Chiefs from bringing him back, in theory. Sometimes it’s better to fly under the radar, and the former second-round talent is producing far too many negative headlines at the moment.