Xavier Worthy called his shot with the Chiefs. Here’s what KC likes most about him

Xavier Worthy says he called this — even when friends didn’t seem to believe him.

Since the beginning of the year, the Texas Longhorns receiver had told buddies he was going to get drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Everybody thought the NFL was never gonna let the Chiefs get to me,” Worthy said with a smile Thursday night, “but I’m here.”

Worthy’s vision, it turns out, was prophetic.

And in the end, KC traded up four spots with Buffalo to select Worthy, taking him with the 28th pick of the first round in Thursday’s 2024 NFL Draft.

“Everybody’s dream is to play with Patrick Mahomes — probably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time,” Worthy said. “So just to be able to play for him ... I mean, everybody talks about it. So I’ve been saying it for a while, ‘I’m gonna be a Chief.’ I just put it in the air.”

The Chiefs seem plenty happy things turned out that way, too.

General manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid both shared their hopes for Worthy on Thursday night, saying the speedy receiver should immediately improve the team’s offense and special teams.

Reid said Worthy will begin his career as both a receiver and special-teams returner. The coach also said the more diminutive wideout — Worthy measured 5 foot 11 and 165 pounds at the NFL Combine — had more strength than might be assumed.

“I think you’ll see his toughness that he’s got,” Reid said, “which jumped out at me.”

Worthy’s obvious standout skill is his quickness. He ran an NFL Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, which Veach thought might lead to him going ahead of where KC could get him.

Ultimately, Veach said Worthy was a player the Chiefs “had a vision for” when they selected him.

“There’s a premium in this league on speed and playmaking ability, and he has that,” Veach said. “So I think the vision for him is, we have him for five years now, and that’s a big deal for us. And as we try to keep this thing together and add pieces, those playmakers are hard to come by, and they’re expensive in the offseason (as free agents).”

Veach also praised Worthy for his ability to pick up offenses quickly, and said the wideout was “right at the top” of Mahomes’ pre-draft wish list at receiver. The Chiefs’ staff also received strong reviews on Worthy from Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who is a close friend of Reid’s.

“Xavier is a perfect fit in that explosive Chiefs offense,” Sarkisian said in a release Thursday night. “He obviously has electric, world-class speed and clearly is a threat to go the distance any time he touches the ball.”

Worthy said he only spoke with the Chiefs during an official visit at the Combine. Even with that limited contact, he kept hopes alive that he’d land with KC as Thursday progressed.

“It’s just an amazing thing,” Worthy said. “It’s something to talk about it, but it’s also something else to do it. It’s amazing just to be here.”