Chiefs’ early draft strategy smartly boiled down to this: Help Patrick Mahomes

Unlike previous years, Patrick Mahomes didn’t watch the first round of the NFL Draft on TV.

Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, was in New York on Thursday night at Time Magazine’s annual 100 Gala, which celebrates tech titans, activists, actors, musicians, athletes and artists.

Mahomes still found time to check his iPhone to see which prospects were selected in the draft’s first round. He sent a couple of text messages to general manager Brett Veach, too.

“Right around pick 20 or 21, he said, ‘Hey, how’s it looking? What are we thinking?’” Veach said of Mahomes. “Thirty to 45 minutes later, when we actually confirmed the trade with the league, before we turned it in, I shot a text and said, ‘I think we’re going to be on the clock here soon,’ and told him the pick. (He gave it) the thumbs-up emoji and was excited.”

The Chiefs’ first selection was Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who ran the 40-yard dash in a record-setting 4.21 seconds at the NFL combine in March.

Veach made a trade to ensure the Chiefs acquired Worthy, the receiver Mahomes was eager to have as a teammate.