The Carolina Panthers weren’t satisfied waiting 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 sent the Buffalo Bills a fifth-round pick (141st overall) along with No. 33 to get the 32nd and 200th overall picks. Buffalo now will kick off Day 2 on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
The maiden selection of new general manager Dan Morgan was a mild surprise. Legette has first-round measurables but was considered a possible Day 2 pick because he was essentially a one-year college producer after being used as a gadget player earlier in his career with the Gamecocks. He also had an up-and-down Senior Bowl week, including some drops in 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.
Don’t overlook Legette’s kick-return ability, too. With the league changing its kickoff rules for the 2024 season, Legette’s career 26.4-yard KO return average (and a TD in 2022) helps make this pick look a bit smarter.
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.