Andy Reid Compares Kansas City Chiefs Rookie to Superstar He Used to Coach

The Cheifs are betting big that Worthy’s speed and ability to take the top off opposing secondaries will be a game-altering weapon for Mahomes, and help turn the tide — alongside free agent signing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in a receiving corps that led the league in dropped passes last season.

Andy Reid Sees Shades of DeSean Jackson in Xavier Worthy

Reid sees plenty of similarities in Worthy and Jackson’s skill sets.

“[Hill and Worthy are] different, and he’ll put his own mark on things once he gets a feel for it,” Reid told reporters during the NFL Draft. “That wasn’t necessarily the comparison, as much as it was him being a good football player that was a good wide receiver. Now you add in there the return ability. I’ve had some guys like that Tyreek, DeSean Jackson — probably body type a little more like DeSean.”

During the first five seasons of Jackson’s career, playing in Reid’s offense with the Eagles, the dynamic wide receiver caught 274 passes for 4,785 yards with 23 touchdowns, while averaging a prolific 17.5 yards per reception.

The Chiefs would certainly sign up for that kind of consistent and high-end production from Worthy.

“It makes me at ease just to see a coach that drafted a guy similar to me as well and him having the success he had in this system under Andy Reid,” Worthy told reporters on Thursday. “It’s just amazing to be able to have a coach that actually gets you as a player and knows you as a player because he’s had that player before.”

Kansas City Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Scouting Report

Worthy’s speed makes him a real asset to the Chiefs’ offense.

During the NFL Scouting Combine, Worthy ran the 40-yard dash in a record-setting 4.21 seconds, after spending his career in Austin sprinting past opposing defensive backs.

As Pro Football Focus points out, Worthy forced 13 missed tackles last season while averaging a whopping 7.6 yards after the catch per reception.

“His quick-strike potential adds an element of danger over the top,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of Worthy. “And should open wider windows for teammates to work into. He lacks the physical tools to catch when contested and needs to prove he can hold up to a more physical brand of football.

“Worthy is a niche prospect for teams looking to add a legit field-stretcher, but areas of concern could create a wider gap between ceiling and floor.”

Xavier Worthy Highlights