The Buffalo Bills have luckily been able to rely on some key draft picks the past several years, including wide receiver Khalil Shakir, running back James Cook, and defensive end A.J. Epenesa, to name a few.
With teams like the Bills, the draft is an excellent way to add depth to, ideally, already All-Pro positional groups as injuries tend to add up on deeper postseason runs. That's especially the case for teams with quarterbacks like Josh Allen, who needs to keep getting better receiving talent to target throughout his time with the team.
That level of receiving talent was right in front of the Bills' face in the 2024 NFL Draft, as they had an opportunity to draft Xavier Worthy over Keon Coleman to fill that need. Instead, they traded back in the draft to snag Coleman, while Worthy has been a great asset to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs this season.
And, in the AFC Championship game between the two teams, that draft blunder reared its head pretty immediately.
Xavier Worthy immediately makes Bills pay for not drafting him in 2024
Worthy scored a touchdown to recapture the lead for the Chiefs in the second quarter of the contest, diving into the endzone to beat Damar Hamlin for a tackle. It was after Kansas City had gone for it on a 4th and 1 possession just a few snaps prior, and Worthy made it matter.
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He entered the game with the mindset of it being an opportunity for revenge against Buffalo for not taking him in the draft, telling media, "I mean, I take it as a blessing and I feel like it's a sign that they didn't want me," Worthy said. "At the end of the day, I'm going to play with my chip on my shoulder. This game means a little bit more. Obviously, it's the AFC championship game, but this is a team that traded their pick away to get somebody else."
It's obvious he's thrived alongside one of the other best quarterbacks in the NFL. But, it always stings when a great team like the Bills decide to go over you for another player - it especially stings when they pass over you to take someone who plays your position.
Coleman has been very silent this postseason for the Bills, which is unfortunate considering he seemed to potentially be a great target for Allen during this postseason run given his size and speed. Worthy now has a touchdown under his belt against the team that avoided taking him altogether.