NFL analyst has bad news for star Panthers WR

Xavier Legette is expected to be Carolina's biggest bust in 2025.

Nov 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) makes a catch over New Orleans Saints cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles (27) for a touchdown during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Who's going to be the biggest bust for the Carolina Panthers in 2025? Someone who just doesn't live up to expectations and probably begins to look like they're not going to last very long? There are a lot of candidates, but Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox picked a surprising name: Xavier Legette.

The Panthers traded up to get Legette at the very end of the first round last year, and he had an underwhelming rookie season. He dealt with some injuries and a long bit of QB instability, but he never really got going. Now, Knox believes he's not going to get it going.

"Last April, the Carolina Panthers traded into Round 1 for wide receiver Xavier Legette. While he showed the occasional flash as a rookie, Legette finished his inaugural campaign with a modest 497 yards and four touchdowns," Knox began.

He thinks Panthers fans would love to see Legette make a leap in year two, but it just might not happen. "He underwent foot surgery early in the offseason and is unlikely to jump into a role as Bryce Young's No. 1 target," Knox said. "Adam Thielen remains on Carolina's roster, and the Panthers just used a first-round pick on Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan."

There are now too many mouths to feed for even an improved Legette to get a ton of targets. He is highly unlikely to get more targets than Tetairoa McMillan unless he's a total bust, and then Bryce Young will also throw plenty to Adam Thielen, his most reliable target, and Jalen Coker, another young player who absolutely needs targets.

It's not an ideal situation for Legette to break out, but to avoid the bust label, he can simply be better than he was in 2024. Drops plagued him, so shoring that up should go a long way.

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