South Carolina WR Xavier Legette told media last week that Carolina told him he wasn’t making it past their pick at No. 33 overall. That prompted Panthers coach Dave Canales to note he said that to 50 different prospects throughout the process. We’ll never know what really happened, but Carolina ended up trading up one slot to grab Legette with the final pick of Round 1. Legette joins a poor WR room spearheaded by Diontae Johnson, and he’ll have every opportunity to contribute right away.
XAVIER LEGETTE
Projection: 40.8 catches on 66.9 targets for 514.2 yards and 2.6 TDs
- At this time last year, Legette had 443 career receiving yards across four seasons at South Carolina. To put it lightly: That’s not good. As a fifth-year senior, he broke out with 1,255 yards and nine touchdowns, emerging as Spencer Rattler‘s WR1. Legette is an elite size-speed freak, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at 221 pounds. Those are elite measurables, but we’ve seen highly touted WRs with elite measurables and minimal production (or late production like Legette) struggle before at the next level. It’s a red flag that Legette, despite his athletic traits, failed to produce until he was a 22-year-old super senior. Still, his combination of athleticism and strong draft capital provides some hope that he can be a stud in the pros. Plus, development isn’t linear, and it’s possible Legette really just got a lot better before his final season with the Gamecocks.
- Legette could be a Day 1 starter for the Panthers. Diontae Johnson is the unquestioned WR1 and even told reporters he was told he’d be the first read on the majority of passing plays, but Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo are next on the depth chart after him. Thielen will be 34 years old come Week 1 and struggled down the stretch after a hot start in 2023, while Mingo had one of the least efficient rookie seasons we have ever seen. That’s pretty terrible target competition. I’m worried about Legette’s lack of production in college, but the path to a big role, if he has the talent, is apparent.
- Of course, Legette needs 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young to take a huge step forward to have any real upside. Young was arguably the worst starter in the NFL as a rookie, and it’s difficult to have any faith he can sustain multiple fantasy-relevant wideouts. However, the addition of Canales as head coach and a retooled offense are reasons to believe the Alabama product can become something resembling an NFL-caliber quarterback.
OTHER PANTHERS PASS-CATCHERS
- Johnson remains the WR1 here. If Legette crushes expectations, there’s certainly a world where his target share is affected by the rookie, but we’re not too concerned about his role at the moment. Johnson has historically been a massive target-earner who’s inefficient at earning yards and TDs on said targets; his move to Carolina should only amplify that reputation.
- Thielen turns 34 years old in August. He started off incredibly hot in 2023 but tailed off in the second half of the season. He’s better suited for a complementary role at this stage of his career. It’s hard to get excited about him as a fantasy asset now that he’s no longer the clear WR1, and Legette could realistically overtake him by the end of the year.
- Mingo was awful for a rookie, has no ties to Dave Canales, and the Panthers just drafted a first-round rookie WR. It’s not over for Mingo – maybe he improves this offseason and pushes Legette and/or Thielen for snaps – but it’s certainly not looking good.
- Terrace Marshall, David Moore, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are not on the fantasy radar.
