Kansas City Chiefs draft picks hit the ground running as the team's rookie minicamp got underway on Saturday.
The past week has been a whirlwind for players like first-round WR Xavier Worthy, but now he and his fellow rookies can get out on the field and build a foundation. For Worthy, this weekend is all about getting comfortable with the playbook and his responsibilities with the team.
Only having the playbook for a short while, the rookie already recognizes some similarities to Steve Sarkisian's playbook at the University of Texas.
“It’s been fun, learning the new offense and seeing how they run stuff, and just getting the flow of things," Worthy told reporters on Saturday. "It reminds me a lot of Sark’s (Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian) playbook, a lot of similarities, just a lot of different names to it. It’s going to be fun to play in this offense.”
From a conceptual standpoint, it's easy to find the similarities. Sarkisian runs a hybrid spread/air raid offense with many RPO and play-action passing concepts. Andy Reid's offensive scheme certainly draws from a lot of those same principles, but the language is what will take time for Worthy to get used to.
The scheme similarities aren't the only advantage that Worthy has on his side when it comes to getting comfortable with Reid's system. Worthy's various roles within the Longhorns offense since his Freshman year in 2021 should give him an advantage that some players don't often have coming into Kansas City.
"I really don't think I can answer true 'Z' receiver," Worthy said. "I feel like I played every position at Texas. I really played mostly 'X' (receiver) at Texas. So, just being able to have that versatility and play everything, I feel like it just doesn't limit me to any position."
Wide receivers typically have a steep learning curve in Kansas City because they're asked to know all three positions, the Z, the X, and the Zebra (slot wide receiver). The fact that Worthy played many roles in Sark's offense and doesn't see himself fitting in a singular role in the NFL should keep him ahead of the curve. The quicker he's able to learn, the quicker he'll be able to see the field and contribute on offense.
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