The Carolina Panthers moved back into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Xavier Legette. There was hope he could emerge as the No. 1 target as the campaign progressed with additional development. But did he live up to that billing?
Coming out of college, most analysts had Legette as a developmental project that used his physical talents to make up for a lack of route running acumen — something that can be rectified with good coaching at the NFL level. This is exactly what the Panthers got.
Legette showed flashes of his physical gifts with some spectacular contested catches that seemed to prove the expectations right. He would then follow it up with an incredibly painful drop. A problem that seemed to occur more as the year went on.
There were some encouraging signs. Legette shows an innate ability to highpoint the football and make some truly acrobatic catches in the end zone. He knows how to get open across the middle on short crossing routes and seams. His ability to create separation made impressive strides as the season went on.
However, there were also some bad things to consider.
Carolina Panthers need much more from Xavier Legette in 2025
The rookie wideout finished the season with a respectable 49 catches for 497 receiving yards, but that isn't exactly the type of impact fans hoped for. Not when Ladd McConkey — a prospect there for the taking before Carolina went with Legette — took the league by storm immediately.
Legette's best performances came against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They sound like good teams to have good games against until you realize that the former South Carolina star failed to produce more than 42 receiving yards in any other contest.
Against the decimated Dallas Cowboys secondary, Legette notched seven receiving yards. He only secured 33 yards on four catches in Carolina's second clash with the New Orleans Saints. Not exactly a shining example of production.
Especially when you consider how Legette began to drop off as quarterback Bryce Young's productivity surged upon returning to the lineup.
The most potent evidence as to this lack of confidence and production from Legette is the fact that in the final game of the season, against a division rival with nothing left to lose and all the good vibes to gain going into the offseason, the rookie was targeted once in the second half. Not to mention that the first-rounder was not even on the field for most of the final two quarters.
That spot was taken by undrafted rookie Jalen Coker, who looks way ahead of Legette after their first seasons in Carolina.
This isn't to say that there were not good things from 2024, but there is a lot of work left to do. And McConkey's prolific start turns up the heat on Legette in no uncertain terms.
Legette has to learn how to get separation down the field with good route running and not just his physical talents. When he does get open, there needs to be a marked improvement in his catching abilities.
There were so many opportunities for game-changing catches that the wideout simply couldn't haul in. The most painful of these was a well-placed ball by Young at the end of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles where Legette was wide open for a touchdown. A game in which he had a truly staggering 25 percent catch success rate. That is the story of this season, but it doesn't have to be what the future holds.
Legette has the talent and the physical attributes to make an impact on this team. Most players have a sophomore leap, so the only concerning thing is how the rookie became an afterthought for even the coaching staff down the stretch.
The popular pass-catcher showed flashes of what he could be given time to develop. And that gives fans a lot of hope going into the next season.
Legette has the potential to be a star. And if McConkey's incredible start doesn't motivate him to silence the doubters, nothing will.