On the eve of the NFL draft, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has connected an intriguing name to the 49ers in his final mock draft. Jeremiah has San Francisco selecting Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy No. 31 overall.
If Worthy’s name sounds familiar it’s because he set an NFL combine record this year when he ripped off a 4.21 in the 40-yard dash. His performance at the combine put him immediately into the conversation as a first-round pick and now Jeremiah believes he’ll be San Francisco’s selection when they’re finally on the clock with the penultimate pick in the first round.
Speed is certainly Worthy’s main calling card, especially after the catch where he is electric with the ball in his hands. It also allowed him to be productive across all three of his college seasons. He posted 981 yards as a freshman with 12 touchdowns, and finished his career with 197 catches for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdown catches. Worthy was also a tremendous punt returner who averaged nearly 14 yards per return in his career.
WRs fly off the board at the end of my Final Mock Draft pic.twitter.com/wdn3GbWHGz
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 25, 2024
The 49ers have been on the hunt for a speedy wide receiver since Marquise Goodwin’s exit after the 2019 campaign. They haven’t had success with Danny Gray who didn’t see any action last year because of a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the season, but even as a rookie he posted just one catch for 10 yards on seven targets.
Worthy would presumably take on the role Gray was supposed to fill as a field stretcher with a refined route tree that allows him to be effective at all three levels of the passing game.
One red flag with Worthy though is how well his body will stand up to NFL contact. He measured at 5-11, 169 pounds at his Pro Day, which is a concern that may be quelled by the fact he never missed a game in college.
It’s unclear whether Jeremiah has the 49ers going with Worthy because he believes they’ll trade Brandon Aiyuk, or if he believes the pair will coexist long-term with San Francisco. Either way the fit makes sense as long as Worthy can continue being an explosive playmaker in the first and second levels of the passing game.
