Carolina Panthers 2024 rookie power rankings entering Week 1 at the Saints

4. Xavier Legette - Carolina Panthers WR

It was a stuttering summer for Xavier Legette. The wide receiver comes into the Carolina Panthers with lofty expectations. There were some outstanding flashes over workouts, but some frustrating complications on the injury front held him back.

The Panthers were right to err on the side of caution with Legette following hamstring and foot issues. They must bring him along gradually to avoid any unnecessary complications. If that meant missing some preseason time to ensure he's ready to hit the ground running when competitive games arrive, so be it.

Legette is listed behind the starting wideout trio of Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Jonathan Mingo on Carolina's unofficial depth chart, but that's inconsequential. The Panthers will look to get the first-round pick out of South Carolina involved. He was drafted too high and has too many exceptional physical gifts to suggest otherwise.

Adopting a cautious approach with Legette initially would be wise. But with Johnson and Thielen capable of commanding considerable attention from opposing defensive schemes, there should be plenty of one-on-one opportunities for the rookie to stretch the field and offer a different dynamic to Carolina's offense in 2024.

3. Jamie Sheriff - Carolina Panthers OLB

As previously mentioned, the Panthers have some significant questions to answer about their edge-rushing room. The fact that K'Lavon Chaisson couldn't make the team with the lack of quality available speaks volumes. It also leaves the room looking completely threadbare heading into Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints.

Jamie Sheriff might not be this high on the list for long, but the recent arrival might get a shot on the rotation at some stage during Carolina's regular-season opener. Jadeveon Clowney is the alpha and will be relied upon heavily. After that, there's only former third-round pick D.J. Johnson and undrafted free agent Eku Leota alongside Sheriff on the depth chart.

We're a little late for additional reinforcements before opening day, so Sheriff could get some involvement depending on how Leota and Johnson perform. He's not the biggest, but the explosiveness displayed at South Alabama was encouraging en route to 10 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in three seasons.

The Panthers also need help on special teams, which Sheriff can also provide if given the chance. It'll be fascinating to see his status for Week 1, but don't be surprised if the coaching staff throws him into the fire in a typically hostile environment.