It's funny to read such strong opinions on which WRs are gonna make it after we went over the JA thread form 6 years ago.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
The buzz surrounding Worthy exploded after he broke the NFL Combine's 40-yard dash record in 2024, blazing a 4.21-second time to break the record set by John Ross in 2017 by 0.01 seconds.
Worthy dominated the rest of the NFL Combine, as well, posting a 41-inch vertical jump and a 10-11 broad jump to establish himself as one of the most athletic receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft class. That pushed him into first-round consideration given that he was productive during his career at Texas.
What's the issue with Worthy? He's small. It's not so much the 5-11 frame that could be a problem, but he weighed in at just 160 pounds for the 2024 NFL Combine. Maintaining that playing weight would make him one of the lightest players in the NFL and could cause him to become injury-prone if he doesn't bulk up.
Worthy played in 39 games during his three seasons with the Longhorns, so some will point to DeVonta Smith's success at 6-0, 170 pounds as a reason the Texas product could end up OK. Others can look to Hollywood Brown (5-9, 180 pounds) and his history of nagging injuries as a reason Worthy could struggle to make a consistent impact in the NFL.
Perhaps the best comparison for Worthy is Tank Dell, as noted by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. The Texans' playmaker (5-10, 165 pounds) enjoyed an excellent rookie season, making 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games, but he missed six games with a fractured fibula.
That serves as a cautionary tale for the team that drafts Worthy. He could develop into a true No. 1 receiver and speed demon at the next level, but his size makes his durability a question mark. As the cliché goes, the best ability in the NFL is availability.