KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The 2024 NFL draft began Thursday night in Detroit and will wrap up on Saturday. The Kansas City Chiefs are scheduled to make seven of the draft's 257 picks, beginning with the No. 28 selection of the first round on Thursday night.
ESPN will provide pick-by-pick analysis of each of the Chiefs' selections as they are made.
A look at each of Kansas City's scheduled selections:
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 28 (via Buffalo): Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
My take: The Chiefs didn't want to merely rebuild at wide receiver after last season's group underachieved. They wanted to rebuild with speed. Selecting Worthy, who ran a combine record 4.21 40-yard dash, is a major step in that direction. Worthy joins another fast receiving acquisition, free agent signee Marquise Brown. The Chiefs struggled last season to connect on many big plays down the field and they hope these moves, particularly drafting Worthy, corrects the problem.
When will he be expected to get regular playing time? It's a disappointment if Worthy doesn't contribute in a meaningful way immediately. The Chiefs talked about how quickly he was able to help at Texas as a freshman, when he caught 62 passes and scored 12 touchdowns. While he may not have that kind of impact as a rookie, he still needs to have significant production. He will also get ample opportunities as a kick return specialist.
What we're hearing about Worthy: "It's a speed game and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game," general manager Brett Veach said. "Just our ability to play vertical and have speed on the field at all times and having Xavier and Hollywood . . . I think as the season goes on here, I think we'll have just an offense that can attack in multiple different ways and always keep defenses guessing.''
What's next: The Chiefs gave up their third-round pick in the Worthy trade, so without another move they'll pick only in the second round on Friday. They can use help at cornerback after trading L'Jarius Sneed, as well as at offensive tackle with last year's starter Donovan Smith unsigned. The Chiefs also have a hole on their depth chart at running back, where Jerick McKinnon is unsigned.