Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy is only a few months older than rookie receiver Cyrus Allen. But the Year 3 WR gets to have an edge over Allen on the roster as the more experienced one of the two of them. Now having a solid idea of what it is like to be a wideout in the NFL, the senior cautioned the junior after having learnt the hard way.

“Cyrus, he’s an electric route runner,” Worthy said. “I mean, obviously you guys could see it. He has an explosion, obviously good ball skills, and he’s a smart player. (He) just does a lot of the same things that Coach Reid was getting on me about when I was younger.” Worthy told reporters. His last comment drew laughs in the room.

“Just taking too long on your routes,” Worthy said, when pressed where exactly Allen lacked. “You know, just little things.”

In his final collegiate season with the Cincinnati Bearcats, Allen went off for 674 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He led in touchdowns in the Big 12 and tied the school record. Bleacher Report’s Damien Parson wrote that Allen “elusive movement patterns,” and was a “savvy route-runner.” However, an NFL offense is significantly faster than college football offenses. Not getting there in time plays into the result of the game.

Allen was timed at a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. It’s a tad slower than Xavier Worthy’s 4.21 finish, which is the current record in the NFL Combine. But if Reid saw the latter as lacking, then Allen too has to go a long way.

Bills Wire’s Kam Towie highlighted Allen’s lighter frame, which makes for a less-than-ideal contested catch ability and lack of blocking strength at the NFL level. Interestingly, these were some of the similar concerns raised when Worthy declared for the draft.

Standing at 5’11” and 165 lbs at that time, he did not have the prototype size of a No. 1 receiver. Like Allen, his physical stature was seen as a detriment for contested catches, per Bleacher Report. There was some chatter about Allen’s dropped catch records, as he’d dropped 10.2% of his catches in his 2022 season. However, he played that year with a broken hand, and cleaned it up next year, going for only 6.4%. 

In his rookie season, Worthy dropped only 7 passes, while being targeted 98 times.

However, Xavier Worthy is now better equipped at route-running, having been in the league for two years now.

The Chiefs’ young receiving corps is impressing fans

The Chiefs largely kept their wide receiver room identical to last season. Allen was the only major addition. The room currently consists of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy as the top two receivers, and Tyquan Thornton as their number three option. If Allen can take significant steps this season, he could hope for playing time.

Per reports from the Chiefs OTAs, Allen has been a revelation at wide receiver. Team insider Matt McMullen highlighted that the rookie caught multiple catches during the 11-on-11s, and also scored a touchdown. With Rice still serving his sentence, Allen’s has a great opportunity to make his mark.

Worthy is also making some gains, still rehabbing his shoulder on which he’d had surgery recently. He wore a non-contact jersey for all of his appearances in the OTAs, but is expected to be out of it soon enough. Worthy has caught passes in the 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s, and has also caught a touchdown from Patrick Mahomes.

But as of now, the focus will squarely be on players like Worthy to step up to the plate and deliver. And it would be wise on Allen’s part to look to Worthy’s growth within Reid’s offense in his rookie year, as he went through the same trials and tribulations himself.