Maurice Moton on Bleacher Report recently did an exercise where he projected the landing spot range for the most polarizing top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. In regards to the Steelers, Moton thinks Pittsburgh would be the ceiling for Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
“In March, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, which opened up a starting spot within the wide receiver group,” he wrote.
“Nearly a week later, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. linked LSU product Brian Thomas Jr. to the Steelers at 20 in his mock draft, but in an episode of the First Draft Podcast with Field Yates, he mentioned a strong consideration for Worthy in that spot. If Pittsburgh wants pure speed to complement George Pickens, Worthy obviously has it in spades.”
The Steelers need at a wide receiver, or at least one wide receiver, to add to their room after trading away Diontae Johnson. They have already shown lots of interest in the NFL Draft to acquire that potential receiver. And in a new mock draft by the 33rd Team, the Steelers landed Worthy.
“Whether it’s Russell Wilson or Justin Fields at quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a passer with one of the highest rates of deep attempts in the league — Wilson was third and Fields was second in 2023. Why not lean all the way in and draft the receiver who ran a 4.21 at the combine? Xavier Worthy also doesn’t have the size to consistently work the middle of the field, but neither Wilson nor Fields want to throw there too often. Worthy isn’t just a vertical speed threat and can catch-and-run on shorter passes. He led college football in punt return yards and could be a Cordarelle Patterson partner with the new kickoff rule in place,” they wrote.
Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni headed to Austin on Texasn pro day to see Worthy as well as Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington.
But it was Worthy who the Steelers spent extensive time with after the pro day, according to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.
“After practice on Wednesday, he met extensively with the Steelers and Colts,” Pauline wrote.
Worthy stunned onlookers at Lucas Oil Stadium at the NFL Combine by running a 4.21 official 40-yard dash time, the fastest anyone in NFL history has ran at the event. It breaks the record set by John Ross, who ran a 4.22 40-yard dash. Worthy weighed in at just 165 pounds, but he has speed and explosiveness, the hallmarks of his game as a receiver.
Worthy’s strengths are exemplified by his deep threat abilities, and alongside Adonai Mitchell, he became one of the most feared deep threats in the country. Unsurprisingly, he was a contender to set the record, as Worthy was a track star in high school and has legitimate world-class speed. He just proved that very correct through his testing numbers.
And Worthy is an interesting target for the Steelers considering he is not a perfect plug-and-play receiver that is prototypical into the Arthur Smith offense. But Worthy, Mitchell, and Whittington all will be drafted, and take on different strengths with their new teams.
Mitchell is an incredibly deceptive route runner who can create space for himself with regularity. There’s plenty of nuance to his game, as he’ll use head fakes, jab steps and rocker steps to sell defenders lies. His feet are light on contact and he can vary his pace to lull defenders to sleep before exploding out his breaks. Mitchell can be best described as a loose athlete, with surprising explosiveness and long strides once he is able to fully open his hips. He might be the most obvious fit for the Steelers, but it’s clear they have interest in Worthy.
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