The Carolina Panthers' former 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette needs to have a bounce-back performance in week two against the Arizona Cardinals after a rough start to the season.

After suffering a brutal week one loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers are in desperate need of a bounce-back victory this week against the Arizona Cardinals.

On offense, quarterback Bryce Young struggled to create any momentum through the air, as he threw for 154 yards and two interceptions. In addition to the passing game being shut down, the run game struggled, with star rusher Chuba Hubbard tallying only 57 yards on 16 carries.

However, there is one offensive playmaker that needs to improve the most in wide receiver Xavier Legette. The former first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had a rough rookie campaign last season, recording 49 catches for 497 yards and four touchdowns.

Luckily for Legette and the rest of the offense, Carolina used an additional first-round pick in 2025 star wideout Tetairoa McMillan, which allowed for the young receiver to become the second option in the passing game. But even playing alongside McMillan could not help his case against Jacksonville.

Legette finished his first start of the 2025 season with quiet three catches for 10 yards, despite being targeted seven times by Young.

Now that he does not have to play the prototypical "X" receiver role for the Panthers, head coach Dave Canales has begun to use the second-year talent in multiple different roles to utilize his yards-after-catch ability. Unfortunately for Legette, the offense became limited in their passing attack on Sunday due to the early deficit, which meant Canales was unable to become creative with Legette.

There is, however, hope for the former South Carolina playmaker heading into week two.

One way that Canales tried to incorporate Legette on Sunday was through the screen game. His first target against the Jaguars came off a failed screen play, but this was a sign that the offense is willing to try different looks for Legette. Getting the ball to Legette in the quick game will not only help the young pass catcher, but allows for Young to make easy completions at the beginning of the contest.

In addition to being a threat in the short game, the Panthers must use Legette in a more dynamic role that can easily get the ball in his hands. Jet sweeps, slip screens and even using him as a rusher are just a few ways he can be effective for Carolina in week two.

If Canales gives Legette a "Deebo Samuel" role in the offense, this puts the wideout in a better position for success against a strong Cardinals defense in week two.