The Carolina Panthers are being urged to make this tough move with wide receiver Xavier Legette.
When the Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Xavier Legette with the 32nd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, many pointed out the risk involved.
After all, Legette really only had one productive campaign on the collegiate level. He barely even saw the field over his first four seasons at South Carolina before finally breaking out in 2023.
But Legette had incredible physical tools and flashed tremendous talent during his final year with the Gamecocks, and with the Panthers desperately needing wide receiver help at the time, they decided to pull the trigger.
Needless to say, it hasn't worked out well for Carolina. Legette caught 49 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns while struggling with drops during his rookie campaign, and this past season, he logged just 35 catches for 363 yards and three scores.
The Panthers may look to add another receiver alongside of Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker this offseason, which could mean that Legette may already be on his way out.
In fact, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton is urging Carolina to trade Legette for a Day 3 pick in the coming weeks.
Carolina Panthers receiver Xavier Legette. Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images."The Panthers won't be able to flip Legette for a premium draft pick, but they should quietly put him on the trade block and hope to get a fourth-rounder for him," Moton wrote. "He's not going to reach his full potential in Carolina."
At this point, the Panthers might have difficulty even landing a fourth-round draft choice for the 25-year-old.
Yes, Legette is a former first-round pick himself, but he has not come close to performing like one. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good, but that also wouldn't instantly repair his biggest problems.
The 6-foot-3 weapon only had one game with five or more catches in 2025, which came when he hauled in nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown in what appeared to be a breakout game against the New York Jets in Week 7.
Legette then proceeded to record a grand total of three catches the next three games, and between Weeks 13 and 17, he amassed just five receptions.
With McMillan having a spectacular rookie campaign and Coker looking more and more like Carolina's No. 2 receiver, it might be time for the Panthers to move on from Legette. The value might not be there, though.
Panthers Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Panthers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.