Panthers trade up to select South Carolina WR Xavier Legette with No. 32 pick of 2024 NFL Draft

The Carolina Panthers didn’t want to wait until Friday to start drafting.

The Panthers traded into the final spot of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night — moving up one spot from the first pick of Round 2 – to draft South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Leggette at No. 32 overall, giving QB Bryce Young some more weaponry.

The Panthers traded a fifth-round pick (141st overall) and the No. 33 pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the 32nd and 200th overall picks. As a result of this trade, Buffalo will now start Day 2 on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

The appointment of Dan Morgan as the new general manager was somewhat unexpected, and his first choice of player was Legette. Despite having first-round measurements, Legette was viewed as a potential Day 2 pick due to his limited production in college after being used in a more versatile role early in his career with the Gamecocks. His performance during the Senior Bowl week was inconsistent, marked by a few dropped balls during the game.

But Legette — who grew up in nearby Mullins, S.C. — is a height-weight-speed maven and could end up a dominant NFL player with the right development. At 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, Legette has an A.J. Brown-like physique and can employ his play strength readily. He also can burn corners deep, as his 4.39-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine indicates.

The light finally came on for Legette in 2023. He’d totaled only 42 catches and five TDs in his first 41 college games, slowed by a hamstring injury and a motorcycle accident in 2021. Legette and Spencer Rattler became one of the better QB-WR combos in college football last season, as Legette caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards (17.7-yard average) and seven TDs.

Also, one must not ignore Legette’s ability to return kicks. Considering the league’s kickoff rule changes for the 2024 season, Legette’s career average of 26.4 yards per kickoff return – along with a touchdown in 2022 – contributes to the perception of this selection as a wise decision.

But it’s a risk for Morgan in his first ever selection as a GM. If Legette capitalizes on his talent, he might be a DK Metcalf-like weapon for the Panthers, who had a feckless offense a year ago. This is exactly the type of weapon Young lacked in 2023. But Legette might also require some patience and detail-oriented coaching if his big-play ability is going to be unlocked.