Xavier Legette entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the South Carolina product has yet to justify that high investment. After a rookie Bryce Young struggled to succeed with one of the worst supporting casts in recent memory, Carolina tried to give him an explosive, freak athlete who could make plays at all three levels of the field.
As of this posting, that hasn’t happened. While Xavier Legette had some impressive moments during his rookie season, the wide receiver took a big step back in Year 2. Appearing in 15 games while making 12 starts, Legette finished the season with just 35 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns on 64 targets. 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan leapfrogged him on the depth chart, as did former undrafted free agent Jalen Coker.
With McMillan and Coker not going anywhere, Xavier Legette is likely fighting for a depth spot and could continue to fall if third-round pick Chris Brazzell impresses early. If he falls to fourth on the depth chart, it’s worth wondering whether or not Carolina would want to pay a first-round pick’s salary for essentially no production. While they probably won’t cut him, the Panthers could try and trade him for whatever they can get to one of the following teams.
Panthers Could Trade Xavier Legette; 3 Suitors Emerge
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have one of the league’s least experienced wide receiver rooms. While veteran Jerry Jeudy has been around a while and is an adequate starter, the rest of the depth chart is relatively untested. The team used top-40 picks on Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion and Washington’s Denzel Boston, and while both players have plenty of long-term potential, they aren’t exactly proven commodities.
Xavier Legette may not justify his first-round draft status, but he can be a solid set of hands for either Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson. He’s good enough to see snaps if Concepcion and Boston need time to adjust to the league, but he’s not so good that he’ll keep them from seeing the field if they’re ready to contribute from Day 1.
San Francisco 49ers
On paper, the San Francisco 49ers have a solid group of wide receivers in former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, veteran Mike Evans, and former Cardinal Christian Kirk. However, all three players have an extensive injury history, and the 49ers should do something to add more insurance to this room. Kyle Shanahan is arguably the best offensive mind in football, but you need players to actually move the ball down the field. Xavier Legette may not be the best wide receiver in the world, but he’s still a great athlete who could thrive in this scheme.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have one proven wide receiver in two-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers and not much else. Rashod Bateman is wildly inconsistent, and UNC’s Devontez Walker has not done anything to prove himself at the professional level. Xavier Legette isn’t going to make a Pro Bowl any time soon, but he offers additional insurance for a team that should enter the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images
