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Road to the Draft

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Meet the Prospect: Xavier Worthy

Name: Xavier Worthy

Position: Wide receiver

School: Texas

Ht/Wt: 5-11, 165

40-yard dash: 4.21 seconds

Bench: Did not bench

Vertical: 41 inches

Broad: 10-foot-11

3-cone: Did not run

20-yard shuttle: Did not run

View photos of NFL prospect Xavier Worthy.

How he fits: The Detroit Lions return their top two wide receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams but lost Josh Reynolds in free agency after he signed with Denver last week. Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Antoine Green also return, but it certainly makes sense for the Lions to add to that room given how deep and talented this receiver class is.

Worthy set a new Combine record in the 40-yard dash with a blazing 4.21 seconds. That speed translated to the field for the Longhorns, catching 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns last season. He caught at least 60 passes in each of his three seasons at Texas.

Putting him, Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs on the field together would arguably give the Lions the fastest trio of skill players in the league to complement the production they get from St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta. I'm sure OC Ben Johnson could have some fun dialing up plays with that group.

Worthy would also give you some backup at punt returner behind Raymond and could be a terrific weapon in the kickoff return game that is back in the NFL after a rule change this offseason.

Key observations: Worthy scored 26 career touchdowns, third all-time in Texas Football history. He ranks fourth all-time in career receiving yards (2,755), sixth in receptions (197) and eighth in punt return yards (564). He owns the second best punt return average for a career (14.5) and season (16.9, 2023) in program history.

What they had to say about him: "Worthy's draft slotting could come down to draft-room debates weighing his elite speed versus his thin frame. Worthy will find separation if allowed to explore vertically or across the hashes against man coverage, but he lacks play strength and release quickness to defeat a quality NFL press.

"His quick-strike potential adds an element of danger over the top 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." - Lance Zierlein, NFL analyst

How he stacks up: NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah lists Worthy as the No. 41 prospect in his list of the Top 50 players in this draft.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler lists Worthy as his No. 46 prospect.

"With an ability to weaponize his burst and breakaway speed, Worthy can win deep, separate out of breaks with full-speed route cuts or stick his foot in the ground and fly with the ball in his hands," Brugler wrote. "He tracks the ball well, but he won't win many 50-50 situations and needs space at the catch point to be effective."

ESPN's Matt Miller lists Worthy as his No. 27 prospect. Fellow ESPN analysts Jordan Reid and Field Yates rank Worthy 38th and 41st, respectively.

What he had to say: "An explosive player. Natural route runner and toughness. I feel like I play with a chip on my shoulder," Worthy said of his game at the Combine.

"I want (teams) to know I'm a real chill guy. As a teammate, somebody that helps a teammate out. I'm not a selfish player, if they need help with a play, I'm not going to be selfish to try to get my boost up."

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