The Carolina Panthers are gearing up to increase competition in the wide receiver room, depending on what opportunities present themselves during the 2026 NFL Draft. This will inevitably raise the stakes even further for Xavier Legette, who is embarking on a critical offseason.
Legette has underwhelmed over his first two seasons. It took him a while to break out in college at South Carolina, and it looks like the same could happen in the pros. The Panthers won't be waiting around, so the margin for error is all but gone for the No. 32 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Speculation remains about Legette's future if he cannot turn things around. However, one Panthers writer doesn't get the sense that head coach Dave Canales is ready to give up on the player just yet.
Carolina Panthers won't be throwing in the towel on Xavier Legette just yet
Darin Gantt, on the team's website, outlined Legette's high work ethic as a reason not to give up hope. He also thought cutting this experiment short for someone with all the physical tools feels wasteful, especially with this developmental coaching staff.
"[Xavier] Legette's a 25-year-old wide receiver, who's built like DK Metcalf, and is still learning. He's also apparently out in California working out with Bryce Young, [Tetairoa] McMillan, and Jimmy Horn Jr., which is a good thing to do.
"The work ethic has never been a question for Legette, but he obviously needs to become more detailed in what he's doing. With McMillan and [Jalen] Coker, they can line up and start a game. But giving up on a guy with Legette's physical gifts seems a waste."
The Panthers need more firepower around quarterback Bryce Young. There should be a new wide receiver, and another pass-catching tight end from the college ranks wouldn't be the worst idea in the world either. But if Legette can finally put everything together, that'll be a tremendous asset to have on hand.
As Gantt stated, Legette has all the athletic upside you'd want. He could be an explosive threat after the catch, and he can get open. Maximizing opportunities has been challenging, and the Panthers' lack of trust became apparent in his limited usage down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Until that changes, nothing will.
The severity of his predicament isn't lost on Legette. Canales said the wideout is working hard to change the narrative. He's a hard guy to root against, but if the Panthers draft another receiver at No. 19, that's only going to push him further down the depth chart.
It'll be fascinating to watch Legette's progress in the coming months. But it's clear that throwing in the towel is not in the Panthers' frame of mind right now.