Colts to Host Fastest Receiver in NFL Combine History

The Indianapolis Colts need to be more explosive offensively and could look the way of the fastest player the draft has.

The Indianapolis Colts are looking to add weapons for the future through the NFL draft starting on April 25th. One of the most utilized words that both head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard have uttered in recent months is "explosive." While it's key to have explosiveness on defense, it may be more important to access it offensively, especially considering the strengths of the athletic field general, Anthony Richardson.

Per Bleacher Report's NFL analyst, Ryan Fowler, the Colts are having a top-30 visit with a receiver who resembles a bolt of lightning on the football field.

Texas WR Xavier Worthy has Top 30 visits scheduled with the Indianapolis Colts & Arizona Cardinals, a source said.

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 20, 2024

Fowler posted on X:

"Texas WR Xavier Worthy has Top 30 visits scheduled with the Indianapolis Colts & Arizona Cardinals, a source said."

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Each NFL team is allowed to have 30 different prospects come in for further evaluation. It shows that a squad has a genuine interest in a player over others. It also could be a complete sideshow to fool other teams in around the league, as it's never concrete until draft day.

Xavier Worthy destroyed the NFL combine with a blistering 4.21 second 40-yard dash. The metric from Worthy set the all-time record for the fastest 40-yard dash and showed that the Texas Longhorn is an issue if given a lane to run. While being incredibly fast doesn't always pan out to success in the NFL, Worthy has more skills than just break-neck speed.

Xavier Worthy breaks the combine record with a 4.21 40-yard dash time. We also clocked him at a max speed of 22.7 mph on this play. pic.twitter.com/VDu9kXhXfN

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) March 2, 2024

Worthy also has shiftiness and the ability to elude tacklers. He can also create separation and will almost always have the eyes of the defense on him given his incredible speed, which opens up opportunities for other offensive playmakers. Worthy is a smaller receiver in frame (165 pounds) and has struggled with getting out-muscled by defenders. But, as long as the Colts can get him to gain healthy weight, he could help himself remedy that issue of not being strong enough to move away from tight coverage. Through three years and 39 games at Texas, Worthy caught 197 passes for 2,755 receiving yards (14.0 per catch), 26 receiving touchdowns and 40 punt returns (one for touchdown). 

At the end of it all, Worthy would inevitably fit with Steichen's philosophy on offense. If the Colts want to truly push defenses to the brink, there's no better way to do it than the fastest receiver a team can draft like the Longhorn product. Sticking him with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce could make for an interesting receiver room that might give issues to the opposition in 2024. 

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