Xavier

Legette

Kaye said he expects McMillan, taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to primarily occupy the outside X spot and be an “immediate fixture” in Dave Canales’ offense. Xavier Legette, according to Kaye, will play the Z position while Adam Thielan occupies the slot. “Despite those immediate roles, the three players will likely get the chance to move around the formation,” Kaye added. That’s likely a positive for McMillan’s 2025 fantasy outlook after he proved one of the nation’s most efficient receivers on slot routes at Arizona in 2024. McMillan was the first wideout selected in the draft after racking up 213 receptions for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns in 37 games at Arizona. Bryce Young reportedly vouched for McMillan before the Panthers used their first rounder on him.

“So, for me, the goal for Xavier Legette is let’s just take that next step,” Canales continued. “This is going to be his first offseason with us, from phase one all the way through, and I just love to see where that goes.” Legette certainly could be a post-hype sleeper candidate given the injuries he played through last year, but it wasn’t exactly an inspiring rookie year with a 49/497/4 receiving line in 16 games. The Panthers have every reason to want their 2024 first-rounder to be the man, but he’ll have to take a major leap forward in 2025 to become that caliber of player.

Legette briefly popped up on the injury report with a toe issue in the middle of the season but didn’t miss any time because of it. It’s unclear if this procedure is related to the toe injury. Legette also dealt with a wrist injury late in the year, which was expected to require surgery. Morgan noted that he did not end up needing surgery on his wrist. Legette is expected to resume running sooner rather than later. The health issues exacerbated a frustrating season for the rookie wideout. Legette averaged a dreadful 5.9 yards per target and fell just short of 500 yards through the air. A quick recovery and a healthy offseason are hopefully what he needs to turn the corner in 2025.

Legette injured his backside in the first quarter but he seemed fine afterward. The No. 32 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Legette had what can best be described as an up-and-down rookie campaign in a Carolina offense lacking a quarterback who could hit Legette downfield. Scoring four touchdowns on the year, he managed just four games with more than 40 receiving yards while leading all Panthers pass catchers in air yards by a wide margin. Legette, considered something of a long-term project coming out of college, profiles as a deep ball specialist, but nothing close to a No. 1 receiver.

With offseason wrist surgery likely looming and the season already a lost cause at 4-12, the Panthers would be wise to shut Legette down. It remains to be seen whether they will do that though and the rookie receiver will undoubtedly push to play through the two issues.

Legette refused to blame the injury on his drops when pressed, but it does make sense that the wrist could be a limiting factor for Legette in his rookie season. The rookie receiver has caught just 13 of his last 27 targets. Legette will again attempt to play through the injury in Week 18.

Legette easily led the Panthers in targets but failed to do anything with the inflated role. Adam Thielen was far more productive on six looks, five of which he caught for 110 yards and two scores. Legette entered Sunday listed as questionable because of groin and hip issues and looked the part of a rookie playing hurt. He was sluggish with the ball in his hands and failed to win contested looks. Even coming off a 32 percent target share, Legette is a high-risk WR4 for his final game of the year against Atlanta.

Head coach Dave Canales was initially pessimistic about Legette’s odds of suiting up today, saying he needed “significant improvement” to play this week. Things turned around in practice as Legette got in a pair of limited sessions before being listed as questionable. He will likely be used in a part-time role given the lingering injuries, meaning fantasy managers should treat him as a high-risk WR5 for Week 17.

Legette was limited in the final two practices of the week before being listed as questionable. He has been playing through the wrist issue for a while. The hip injury, on the other hand, is an extension of the groin issue he suffered in Week 15. Canales was pessimistic on his odds of suiting up earlier in the week, so fantasy managers will still want to check Carolina’s inactives 90 minutes before kickoff. If active, Legette will be a low-floor WR5 for the final round of the fantasy postseason.

Despite being listed as questionable, head coach Dave Canales has said the plan is for Legette to play against the Buccaneers. The rookie receiver hasn’t found the end zone since Week 9 and hasn’t had a top-24 PPR week since Week 4. With Adam Thielen also back and soaking up targets, It’s hard to view Legette as anything more than a WR5 at this time.