When Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has his eye on a specific prospect at a position of need, we’ve seen firsthand that he’s not afraid to jump up in the NFL draft to secure them.
And that’s exactly what NFL Network draft analyst Chad Reuter is predicting will happen in 2024. During a mock draft on April 5, Reuter proposed a hypothetical trade where the Chiefs jump up 15 spots in round one — swapping places with the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 17 overall.
The kicker? Kansas City would slot in right ahead of the AFC rival Cincinnati Bengals in order to select a new wide receiver: Texas Longhorns speedster Xavier Worthy.
“Give Patrick Mahomes as many explosive targets as possible,” Reuter reasoned. “Worthy’s elite speed makes him a top downfield threat as well as an obvious option for jet sweeps and quick screens. He’s a much-needed versatile threat for the Chiefs.”
In this projected move from No. 32 up to 17, Kansas City would sacrifice their 2024 second rounder (No. 64) — effectively spending their first two draft picks on one player.
In Reuter’s mock, the Bengals follow up KC with a wide receiver selection of their own at No. 18, selecting LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. Obviously, Thomas would be another option for the Chiefs in this scenario if they preferred the 6-foot-3 target over Worthy.
NFL Analysts Love WR Xavier Worthy to the Chiefs
It’s not the first time Worthy has been suggested as a draft candidate for the Chiefs. Reuter himself proposed a different KC trade idea with the Los Angeles Rams during an earlier mock draft, and it had the same result.
Worthy to Kansas City.
Part of this analyst obsession stems from the Chiefs’ recent history at the wide receiver position. To put it simply, head coach Andy Reid loves speed and positional versatility.
Worthy has both, and he boosted his draft stock at the NFL combine after he broke the record for a 40-yard dash time at a 4.21-second sprint.
Worthy has already drawn Tyreek Hill comparisons, but he also bears some similarities to 2019 draft pick Mecole Hardman and Baltimore Ravens playmaker Zay Flowers — another prospect that the Chiefs were supposedly interested in.
Kansas City has also traded for Kadarius Toney — who plays a similar role with less speed — and signed a veteran like Richie James in recent seasons.
They have a clear “type,” and Worthy embodies it. Having said that, it’s possible another NFL franchise will play copycat and swipe Worthy before KC has an opportunity to get him.
Jaguars Use Hypothetical Trade Return to Land CB Max Melton & G Mason McCormick
Rounding out this trade proposal, Reuter utilized the two Jaguars’ selections on a cornerback and a guard. The first rounder was Rutgers CB Max Melton.
“Melton’s plus athleticism was on display at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his film shows his versatility to play in the slot or outside, win jump balls and stick his nose into run defense,” Reuter relayed.
At pick No. 64, the draft expert sent Jacksonville an offensive guard in Mason McCormick out of South Dakota State.
Bleacher Report scout Brandon Thorn noted that “McCormick’s size, length, square power and demeanor can help him stick in the NFL as a backup in a conservative, downhill, gap-based run scheme.” However, he does not see his ceiling as anything more than a “depth interior piece.”
Needless to say, a trade up of this nature would be a slam dunk for KC, even if they were to throw in an extra late-round selection to help even the scales.
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