On Wednesday, a clip of rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy went viral from Kansas City Chiefs training camp. Worthy was welcomed to the NFL with an aggressive jam at the line of the scrimmage and he was knocked to the ground. The internet, of course, reacted in an absurd way.
Let’s take a look. Here, Worthy is lined up on the outside of the formation and is instantly pressed by Joshua Williams before being knocked to the ground by a linebacker.
Xavier Worthy against press. pic.twitter.com/SbvC66qCiU
— Boorish (@Boorish_Sports) July 31, 2024
Before we dive in on the actual football element of what’s going on here, it’s worth mentioning why the reaction to this clip was the way it was. First and foremost, it’s about the Chiefs. There are 31 fan bases all praying for the Chiefs’ downfall, and nothing would make those fans happier than seeing Worthy—the Chiefs 1st round wide receiver that they traded up for to get—turn out to be a bust. When they see a clip like this of him dropping the ball in rookie camp, they smell blood in the water and get excited.
There’s also a level of confirmation bias with this clip as well. The 2024 receiver draft class was insanely talented, which is part of the reason why Worthy was still on the board with pick 28. The other reason was his lack of size. At 5’11, he ranks in the 27th percentile in height. He also weighs only 165 lbs., which is in the 1st percentile of weight for the NFL. The draft community was skeptical of Worthy’s size coming into the league and this clip confirmed that opinion.
There’s no doubt that Worthy is small, and at times, this will limit what he can do on the field. There are certain situations in which he won’t be successful. This is a valid criticism of his game, particularly from the draft community. As a prospect, you have to evaluate his skill set as it would fit into most or all NFL offenses. All that to say, Worthy’s lack of size could be a real problem for him if he landed on the wrong team. Lucky for him he has Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
How Effective is Press Coverage against Speed?
Stop playin' with him. pic.twitter.com/ZZK7Q7cPq5
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 15, 2024
According to the internet, this clip confirms that Tyreek Hill will never be a good NFL receiver because he got pressed to the ground. Tyreek Hill is much more dense than Worthy, but he is still an undersized pass catcher who relies on speed and free releases to win against top-level defenders. Similarly, Hill has one of the most creative offensive minds in football helping win consistently against press or bigger corners
TYREEK HILL IS BACK SCORING TDS IN ARROWHEAD
pic.twitter.com/i8YScW5mWP— PFF (@PFF) January 14, 2024
Of course, we know that Tyreek Hill is one of the greatest deep threats in the NFL despite his lack of size. Part of that stems from scheme and part of that from respect for his speed. Teams can try to get their hands on him, but if they can’t slow him down, that rep can instantly turn into a touchdown as he runs by them. Even against a top defense and corner like Trent McDuffie, Hill’s speed still makes them pay despite being lined up on the outside.
Xavier Worthy isn’t Tyreek Hill but he does have similar speed and is a far more developed route runner as a rookie than Hill was. They both had the benefit of playing for Andy Reid and withi Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Another reason why the argument of Xavier Worthy not being able to succeed against press coverage is silly. Teams simply cannot afford to run aggressive press man coverage against an offense with Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, Hollywood Brown, and Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs will punish any defense that plays with that much space behind them.
DEEP SHOT ‼️
Mahomes floats one up to Xavier Worthy for 6 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wRT1S3MVIW
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) August 1, 2024
Here’s a great example of how the scheme can help highlight Worthy’s strengths and hide his weaknesses. Here, Worthy is lined up in the slot close to the Y-tight end in a condensed bunch with another receiver on his outside shoulder. Skyy Moore runs across Worthy’s route on a drag route creating a free release for him. Between lining up in the slot and the use of motion, Andy Reid is going to rarely have Worthy lined up on the outside with no motion or help to beat a corner (like the original clip).
it should be said that the original clip of Worthy is a great example of a rookie taking his lumps where he should—in training camp. It’s also a great example of how narratives can get out of control and that context matters. Worthy landed in an ideal spot for his skill set. Sure, his size will matter at times but the Chiefs are going to get the best out of him.
