The Carolina Panthers‘ offense did not look all that impressive in Bryce Young’s first year under center for a multitude of reasons. One of those factors was the Panthers’ lack of explosive plays in the passing game, which was addressed this offseason when Carolina selected WR Xavier Legette in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Can fantasy football managers expect Legette to emerge as Young’s top pass-catching option in 2024?
Should You Select Xavier Legette at His Current ADP?
PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 158th Overall (WR59)
- Offensive Struggles: The Panthers’ offense, led by Bryce Young, struggled significantly in 2023, with a lack of explosive plays in the passing game being a major issue.
- Revamped Receiver Room: Carolina addressed their wide receiver needs by trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette with the final pick of the first round in the 2024 NFL Draft.
- Impressive Physical Profile: Legette stands at 6’1’’, 221 pounds, with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time. He offers the Panthers a vertical threat with great contested catch ability, explosive athleticism, and the physicality to gain yards after the catch.
- Complementary Skill Set: Legette’s ability to stretch the field and win contested catches complements Johnson’s route-running and suddenness, potentially giving the Panthers a dynamic receiving duo.
- Uncertain Role: The involvement of veteran Adam Thielen, who had a strong rapport with Young last season, could limit Legette’s volume, making his role in the offense somewhat uncertain.
- ADP Analysis: Legette’s current ADP as WR59 in the 13th round seems reasonable given his physical tools and the potential for targets in a retooled offense. However, there are concerns about Young’s development and how targets will be distributed among Legette, Johnson, and Thielen.
- Final Verdict: Legette offers intriguing upside as a rookie in a weaker receiver room, but the uncertainties surrounding the Panthers’ passing game make him a risk. While not a bad pick at his ADP, you may prefer more established rookies like Ja’Lynn Polk, Jermaine Burton, or Malachi Corley in the same range.
PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for Xavier Legette
Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis. Since Legette is ranked outside the top 75 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, we’ve listed the consensus WR rankings instead.
66) Dontayvion Wicks, WR | Green Bay Packers
67) Ja’Lynn Polk, WR | New England Patriots
68) Marvin Mims Jr., WR | Denver Broncos
69) Michael Wilson, WR | Arizona Cardinals
70) Ricky Pearsall, WR | San Francisco 49ers
71) Xavier Legette, WR | Carolina Panthers
72) Quentin Johnston, WR | Los Angeles Chargers
73) Malachi Corley, WR | New York Jets
74) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR | New York Giants
75) Elijah Moore, WR | Cleveland Browns
76) Zay Jones, WR | Arizona Cardinals
Xavier Legette’s 2024 Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Veteran wideout Adam Thielen may have finished as the WR17 overall last year, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the Panthers from aggressively prioritizing the receiver position this offseason.
This retooling of the Panthers’ receiver room started when they traded for Diontae Johnson and continued when the organization spent the final pick of the first round on Legette in the 2024 NFL Draft.
To say Young’s production — or lack thereof — was a colossal disappointment would be an understatement. He threw for just 11 TDs to go with 10 INTs over 16 games during his rookie year.
Part of the problem was the lack of separation the wide receiver room was able to consistently generate.
Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, DJ Chark, and Terrace Marshall Jr. — who weren’t constantly blanketed by opposing defensive backs — simply didn’t do Young many favors in 2023. The additions of both Legette and Johnson should help in this category quite quickly in 2024.
Legette’s physical profile is impressive at 6’1’’, 221 pounds while boasting great vertical speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine). He instantly gives the Panthers an outside vertical presence who can stretch the field, which this receiver group didn’t prove capable of doing last year.
Additionally, Legette is a great contested catch producer who attacks the ball ferociously at the catch point. His explosive athleticism and surprising body control for a player that size gives a wide catch radius out on the perimeter. He also has the type of contact balance, play strength, and explosive burst to churn out extra yards after the catch.
This profile compliments Johnson very well, as he tends to win with his suddenness and stem IQ savvy over a diverse route tee.
The real unknown will be how involved Thielen — who will turn 34 years old before the start of the season — is after already establishing significant rapport with Young last year. If Thielen still acts as a safety blanket for Young, it could be difficult for Legette to see the type of volume required in a questionable passing offense to be a reliable fantasy starter in 2024.
Is Legette a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?
Legette’s ADP at No. 158 overall in the 13th round as the WR59 off the board feels quite reasonable for a rookie who had just one year of elite college production and joined one of the worst passing offenses in the league last season. For some additional context, Legette is drafted just behind Jerry Jeudy, Jakobi Meyers, and Mike Williams.
Legette has all of the physical tools to be an effective X-receiver in the league. His explosiveness, hip sink, and body control are all pretty rare for a receiver his size. The unknown level of play from Young under center and the volume both Johnson and Thielen will command feels like a bit of a mystery at this point.
In this range, it’s hard to call a prospect like Legette, who is walking into a weaker receiver room with plenty of potential targets up for grabs, a bad pick. But I do find myself gravitating towards rookies Ja’Lynn Polk, Jermaine Burton, and Malachi Corley in the same range.
