We’re counting down the days until the Panthers kick off the 2024 season.
We’re about two-and-a-half weeks away from the start of the season for the Carolina Panthers—17 days to be exact. With that, we profile number 17 for the Panthers, the team’s first round pick in April, wide receiver Xavier Legette.
Legette had one of the strangest statistical profiles you’ll ever see out of a collegiate athlete. In four seasons at South Carolina, he tallied a total of 42 catches for 423 yards and five touchdowns. Again, that was a total. However, he (along with everyone else) was granted an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He elected to stay at USC for a fifth season despite his underwhelming production up to that point.
It appears he made the right call. In that fifth season, the Mullins, SC native racked up 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 catches. He was named second team All SEC. It was an almost unprecedented statistical leap for a player that played in the same situation for such a long period of time.
That lone season combined with Legette’s physical profile made him one of the better wide receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Panthers, with a glaring need for a wide receiver. made him the 32nd overall pick.
His start with the Panthers has been a little bumpy. He was sidelined for a big chunk of OTAs due to a hamstring injury and then missed parts of training camp with a foot issue. He’s back practicing, but the stop-start nature of his offseason has surely made the transition to the NFL a little tougher. He’s had some moments when he’s been on the field though.
This ROUTE by Xavier Legette
Some NFL scouts pre-draft reportedly comped Legette to AJ Brown (Eagles WR1).
The Panthers offense could be SCARY. pic.twitter.com/56c3GFOI4z
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) August 4, 2024
The Panthers can afford for Legette to grow into the season at his own pace. Diontae Johnson can handle the number one duties and Adam Thielen should be okay enough as a complementary receiver without all of the attention. That said, Legette is a first round pick, and the Panthers will need him to be a big part of the offense before too long if they’re going to have the offensive success required to be a good football team.
We’ll probably have to wait until Week 1 to see number 17 on the field for the Panthers. Hopefully it won’t take long for him to show why the Panthers thought so highly of him.