Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas (Junior)

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Strengths :

  • Athleticism
  • Good route runner
  • Route tree
  • Threat on all 3 levels
  • Ball tracking
  • Age (21 years old)


Weaknesses
:

  • Skinny build
  • Endurance ?
  • Drops
  • Play strength
  • Run block
  • Specific player

TTProfil

 

Xavier Worthy has a decent size for the position and is lanky. He possesses significant acceleration and excellent speed. He's an explosive athlete with a lot of fluidity.
However, even though he has very good acceleration, he lacks the necessary speed, the little burst to explode separation at the third level that we would like to see for his body type. I also have doubts about his endurance; he doesn't seem to have a strong motor. He struggles to consistently maintain high intensity in his runs and in some games, he athletically fades after the third quarter.
At 170 lbs, Xavier is clearly well below the standards. To give you an idea, he's at the level of a Devonta Smith in terms of physique, so he has a very skinny build, which often implies a lack of power. He manages to compensate slightly for this lack of power with good aggression and a highly competitive mindset, but unlike Smith, he lacks play strength (physical impact on the field).

He has good explosive footwork and a varied set of releases, but against press coverage, he really struggles to make an impact. He lacks the power to shake off a cornerback who gets hands on him, so he can't create speed and separation. There have even been instances where he's been pancaked.
Xavier is understandably much better against off-man coverage, where he can utilize his explosiveness and acceleration effectively. Even though he lacks the speed and burst at the end of his route to create the separation I expect from him (again, relative to his build), he poses a threat on all three levels (short/intermediate/deep) because he is a good route runner with a fairly well-developed route tree. He can run go routes, posts, corners, comebacks, curls, hitches, and zigs with fluid hips and a relatively fluid upper body.

Against zone coverage, I like it when he is lined up on the outside (in the slot as well, but on other types of short or intermediate routes) and can attack cross routes to make use of his speed. However, I didn't find that he displayed a high football IQ, and he had difficulty in settling his route in the right places and providing a viable solution for his QB.

Worthy's ball skills are extremely frustrating. He has a very good tracking ability of the ball even when facing away from the play. Speaking of his ability to attack in-breaking routes, I immediately think of his far too numerous drops in this area.
He has a skinny build and seems far too focused on running before even catching the ball because he's afraid of getting folded in half, which has happened several times and it was really ugly to watch.
His eye/foot/hand coordination is good, but we're really talking about concentration drops in the open field and in traffic, or a lack of aggression with body catches, which really spoils Worthy's profile.
He is an obvious threat with the ball in his hands, but his transition from receiver to runner is not ideal. He has a good impact on screens where he can showcase his athletic abilities and evasive moves like jukes or spins.

Xavier shows commitment in run blocking, but his technique and power are a big issue, and it's likely to be even more problematic in the NFL.

Xavier Worthy is a very intriguing but also frustrating prospect who presents a boom or bust profile if not used in a certain way and especially with intelligence to keep him away from traffic.
He is a clear speed option, with alignments in the slot or on the outside.
There are a lot of possibilities with him, like putting him in motion often, using him as a stretch fielder.
Now, with his build and lack of physical impact, he presents significant injury risks and limited impact if defenses are aggressive against him. His drops and impact in traffic are likely to be very limited.
With so little weight and athleticism that doesn't meet expectations (though he's not a bad athlete and I guarantee he'll put up impressive numbers at the combine, but it doesn't always translate on the field), I find it hard to envision a significant increase in mass.
It's worth noting that he checks out of his game at times. At only 21 years old, which could explain this, but between that and his athleticism dipping during games, it's something to consider.
I would assess Xavier Worthy as a third-round prospect.

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