ESPN shares devastating stat for Carolina Panthers WR Xavier Legette

Thanks to a stirring 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins this past weekend, the Carolina Panthers are in position this Sunday to reach the .500 mark with a home win over the rejuvenated Dallas Cowboys.

ESPN’s NFL Nation elevated Dave Canales’s club in its power rankings from No. 28 to the 24th spot. Despite the stirring victory, Panthers’ writer David Newton had a depressing statistic regarding wide receiver Xavier Legette, the club’s first-round pick in 2024.

“The focus was on first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan having a big year, and he has been solid. But Legette was expected to flourish with McMillan getting extra attention from opposing defenses—and he hasn’t. After missing Weeks 3 and 4 because of a hamstring injury, Legette scored a touchdown against Miami. But he has only six catches on 18 targets for 39 yards this season. He has a success catch rate of only 16.7 percent.”

Those combined numbers in three games for Legette are very disturbing. However, they were far uglier after two weeks of play. The young wideout saw 15 passes his way. It added up to four receptions for eight yards. Yikes.

Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) makes a touchdown catch during the second quarter with Miami Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones (23) defending at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

However, there were some positives this past weekend. In Sunday’s victory, Legette was targeted three times, and did finish with two key catches for 31 yards. His first reception of the afternoon was a seven-yard touchdown grab with 3:24 remaining in the first half that got the Panthers on the scoreboard.

The second came on what proved to be the game-winning touchdown drive for Canales’s team in the fourth quarter. Young and Legette combined for a 24-yard gain on what was an eight-play, 83-yard march. It culminated with Young’s four-yard TD toss to rookie tight end Mitchell Evans.

Could Sunday’s performance be the start of some good things for Legette? No doubt Canales, Young, and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik would be thrilled.

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