Carolina Panthers receiver Xavier Legette has spent the offseason becoming a superstar off the field. From being the NFL’s social correspondent at the Kentucky Derby to appearing in a GloRilla music video, Legette has become a person recognized by more than football fans. However, to keep things buzzing off the field, the second-year receiver must deliver on the field, and analysts are concerned about his ability to do that.
Throughout the offseason, Legette’s name has frequently appeared on lists of players who could disappoint in 2025 or things along those lines. That recently continued in a Bleacher Report piece, where Kristopher Knox predicted every team’s biggest bust of the 2025 season. For the Panthers, Knox argued Legette would be the guy to let everyone down.
Xavier Legette predicted to be the Carolina Panthers’ biggest bust in 2025
Knox made the case that Legette is unlikely to make the jump that he’s seemingly capable of making, arguing that Bryce Young will probably end up leaning on Adam Thielen and Tetairoa McMillan instead.
"While Panthers fans would love to see Legette make a big second-year jump, it might not happen. He underwent foot surgery early in the offseason and is unlikely to jump into a role as Bryce Young's No. 1 target. Adam Thielen remains on Carolina's roster, and the Panthers just used a first-round pick on Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan."Kristopher Knox
Legette undoubtedly has some concerns entering Year 2. As a rookie, the receiver caught 49 passes for 497 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 16 games. However, anyone who watched the Panthers every week will tell you Legette could’ve finished his rookie season with much better numbers. In addition to playing through injuries, the receiver struggled with drops, with seven official drops recorded.
That’s the only reason people are low on the 2024 first-rounder going into the 2025 season. It’s a bit irresponsible to already write him off because he struggled with drops as a rookie, though.
All things considered, drops being Legette’s biggest issue in Year 1 could be viewed as promising. When he was first drafted, there were concerns about how well he would be able to get open and separate from NFL defenders. He proved he can do that; now he just has to consistently complete the process.
Unless one is just pessimistic and convinced Legette isn’t going to be able to shake the drops, there really isn’t a reason to be so low on him entering the season. However, all the doubts coming the young receiver's way will give him the perfect platform to make critics look foolish.