Did you know The Patriots were aggressively pursuing WR Xavier Worthy during the draft? The Chiefs beat them to the punch.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the 2024 NFL Draft. What grade should the Chiefs get for the move?

Back in 2022, New England Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh made a pretty definitive statement about improving his team’s speed: you want fast players, you better draft fast players.

While the circumstances of roster construction have changed over those last two years — mainly because of issues at quarterback and left tackle — speed and the playmaking potential associated with it remains a topic in New England. The Patriots, after all, are in need of upgrading their skill positions in order to improve an offense that was among the least potent in the NFL in 2023.

There are several suitable prospects to do that. When it comes to pure speed, however, there is only one reigning supreme: Xavier Worthy, the fastest man in football.

Worthy saw action both inside and outside at Texas, and the expectation is that he will be used in similar fashion at the next level. In New England, he would likely serve as a Z-receiver aligning off the line of scrimmage. Due to his impressive straight-line speed, stretching the field vertically to create space underneath would be one of his main responsibilities early on in his career. In addition, he brings return experience to the table.

The Patriots need all the playmaking they can get, and Worthy’s potential in that regard is significant. His speed is rare, and something that can be a true weapon at the next level — a weapon capable of making life easier for everybody else on the offensive side of the ball, and the quarterback in particular. If the team does not feel confident in Tyquan Thornton entering Year 3, Worthy would be a potential upgrade from Day 1.

The Patriots already have several Z-receiver types on their roster, but lack a true X. Worthy is not that, meaning that the team might prefer investing in other wideouts such as South Carolina’s Xavier Legette, Florida State’s Keon Coleman, or Worthy’s Texas teammate Adonai Mitchell. In addition, the team simply might be concerned about his lack of size and play strength, and the fact that he hovered around the same level of production throughout his college career.