Per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Arizona Cardinals are hosting Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy on a top-30 visit on Tuesday, which may hint at their draft plans.
#Texas WR Xavier Worthy, who broke the Combine record for the 40 with a 4.21, is visiting the #AZCardinals today, source said. As they continue to do work on the top WRs. He was with the #Bears yesterday.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 9, 2024
WR is Arizona's biggest need. Last season, the Cardinals ranked 26th in the league in receiving yards (201.8). Marquise "Hollywood" Brown — who led the team in TD catches (four in 14 games) — signed a one-year, $7M deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
The Cardinals have the fourth overall pick, so they could take Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. or LSU's Malik Nabers. However, general manager Monti Ossenfort recently signaled they might trade down in the draft to acquire more capital, which would help them rebuild.
"This is the most obvious trade-down spot in Round 1 in terms of projected value," wrote ESPN's Bill Barnwell. "In a wide receiver class widely regarded as the deepest in recent memory, Arizona doesn't need to take a wideout here to find playmakers for [quarterback] Kyler Murray."
Worthy would be a solid target if the Cardinals move down. NFL.com draft expert Daniel Jeremiah rates him as the seventh-best WR in this draft class, adding that he "seems like a taller [5-foot-11] version of Brown [5-foot-9]"
Worthy, 20, showcased dazzling speed at the scouting combine, breaking the 40-yard dash record (4.21 seconds). In his final season with Texas, the 2023 third-team All-American tallied 75 receptions for 1,014 yards and five TDs in 14 games. He also ranked second in the FBS in yards per punt return (16.9).
PUNT-RETURN HOUSE CALL FOR XAVIER WORTHY pic.twitter.com/Tmq16Kj2XQ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2023
Clearly, the Cardinals should mull trading down in the draft on April 25-27. They could address other needs and still land a talented WR who can bolster their lackluster passing attack.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!