By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes a speedy deep threat as legal uncertainty surrounds the future of Rashee Rice.
The Chiefs were supposed to pick 32nd overall - last in the first round - after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, but they managed to make a trade with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo.
The Chiefs sent the No. 32 pick, along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder, to the Bills for No. 28 overall, a fourth-round and seventh-round pick.
Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City once enjoyed with Tyreek Hill.
Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner, catching 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs for the Longhorns in 2023.
He could immediately help Kansas City, which led the NFL with 2.6 dropped passes per game last season.
The Chiefs were in the market for a wide receiver even before Rice was arrested following a high-speed sports car crash in Texas in which several people were hurt in Dallas in late March.
Rice is facing eight charges, including one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. He has been released on bond.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid has said that Rice would continue to attend offseason meetings while his legal situation plays out.
Kansas City has six picks remaining. They'll pick in the second round at No. 64 overall next.
Mizzou's Darius Robinson headed to the Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals selected Mizzou defensive lineman Darius Robinson with the No. 27 pick during the first round Thursday.
Robinson was First-Team All-SEC for the Tigers in 2023 with 43 total tackles, 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for losses.
Robinson's draft stock skyrocketed after a successful Senior Bowl, where he was voted the "overall practice player of the week" by NFL scouts and executives and a dominant Scouting combine appearance.
The Associated Press and AZCardinals.com contributed to this report.