3 NFL-Ready Wide Receivers the Chiefs Can Draft Following Rashee Rice News

The Kansas City Chiefs were dealt a blow on Monday when NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that wide receiver Rashee Rice is likely facing a multi-game suspension next season. The 24-year-old has been dealing with eight charges following his alleged involvement in a Dallas-area car crash last month.

With Rice likely missing a portion of the new campaign, all signs point to the Chiefs likely taking a wideout in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Kansas City's WR room was already one of its weaker areas, so it only makes sense to target a potential game-changing playmaker on Day 1.

With that in mind, here are three NFL-ready wideouts that the Chiefs could draft later this week.

1. Xavier Worthy, Texas

The Chiefs have been looking for a legitimate WR1 ever since Tyreek Hill left town two years ago. Fortunately, they could finally have Hill's long-awaited replacement if they decide to draft Texas' Xavier Worthy in the first round.

Worthy, 20, has been a pass-catching machine throughout his time with the Longhorns. His blistering speed (NFL combine record 4.21-second 40-yard dash) and impressive catching ability terrorized defenders over the last three seasons, resulting in 197 catches for 2,755 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in 39 games. He was named All-Big 12 in each season with a pair being first-team nominations.

Patrick Mahomes has one of the best arms in NFL history and it's hard not to get excited about what he could do with Worthy at his disposal. It was only just over a year ago that the three-time Super Bowl MVP turned a seemingly washed-up JuJu Smith-Schuster into a near-1,000-yard WR, so it isn't crazy to imagine the damage that a Mahomes-Worthy connection could foster.

Considering how NFL insider Albert Breer is now reporting that the Chiefs are linked to the Longhorns playmaker, there's a good chance that Worthy will be booking a flight to Kansas City sooner rather than later.

2. Troy Franklin, Oregon

Worthy isn't the only NFL-ready wideout worthy of joining the Chiefs at the 2024 draft. Troy Franklin would also be a tremendous asset to the Mahomes-led attack following an extremely productive year at Oregon.

In his final season with the Ducks, Franklin set new personal bests in receptions (81), receiving yards, 1,383, and touchdowns (14) en route to a second-team All-American nomination. To put things into perspective, the East Palo Alto, CA native only generated a 79-1,100-11 stat line in his first two seasons in Eugene, OR.

While Worthy beats defenders with his speed, Franklin uses his size (6-foot-3) and footwork to make opposing cornerbacks look silly. He could afford to get stronger, but his base suggests that he has all the tools to be a WR1/2 one day, perhaps as early as next season in the right environment. The good news for the incoming rookie is that there isn't a better star-maker than Mahomes.

Franklin's NFL Draft page compares him to the New Orleans Saints' Chris Olave, who has hit the 1,000-yard mark twice to begin his career. If that's the type of player Kansas City would get by drafting Franklin, I doubt you'd hear many complaints from Chiefs Kingdom.

3. Xavier Legette, South Carolina

If the Chiefs want their next WR1 to feature a solid mix of size and speed, South Carolina's Xavier Legette is their guy.

Despite weighing 221 pounds at the combine, the 6-foot-1 wideout still managed to run a 4.39-second 40-yard dash with a 1.54-second 10-yard split. Not only does he have to speed to outpace defenders, but his strength also helps him keep the ball secured whenever he must climb the ladder to make a catch. That's without even mentioning his impressive catch radius that made him a Gamecocks fan favorite.

Even though his first four years at South Carolina were relatively quiet, nobody can question Legette's ceiling following the 2023 college football season. The 23-year-old WR turned 71 receptions into 1,255 yards and seven TDs while being named to the All-SEC second team for the first time. He even averaged 21.3 yards on 10 kick returns, further demonstrating his versatility.

Legette has already met with the Chiefs twice this offseason, once at the combine and a second time for a top-30 visit. He made it clear that he would love the opportunity to play with Mahomes (anyone is lying if they said they wouldn't), indicating that there might be some fire behind this smoke.

The wideout prospect told USA Today that the Carolina Panthers are planning to draft him in Round 2, meaning the Chiefs may only have one opportunity to draft Legette. Considering how much potential he seemingly boasts, targeting the South Carolina product at No. 32 might just be worth it.

More Kansas City Chiefs news and analysis: