Why I'm Selling the Early Panthers Hype Around Xavier Legette

By all accounts, Xavier Legette is having a really good training camp. The Carolina Panthers have to be pretty pleased with his production, effort, and mental awareness. This is the kind of camp he needed to have.

He needed to outplay Chris Brazzell II for the WR3 spot, which he might have been doing before Brazzell got hurt, although the rookie was also having a really good camp. Iron was sharpening iron.

It's led to a significant amount of early hype that Legette has finally turned a corner and he might not be a totally useless part of the offense. But I'm not buying it all just yet.

Why Xavier Legette hype train needs more steam before believing it

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) walks over to the drills | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Xavier Legette is having a good training camp. That much cannot be disputed. He got off to a slow and unassuming start, but he has really ramped it up. The mental lapses have cleaned up, and his production has risen.

He did get carted off on Tuesday, but he was quickly cleared of a concussion and is reportedly only dealing with a stinger. He wasn't going to play Thursday night anyway, and Legette should be back soon, so there's no injury concern.

He has begun to resemble the player the Panthers thought he could be when they traded up into the first round in 2024 to snag him. It's all pointing up for Legette, but there needs to be a healthy dose of caution with all of this.

Legette has never really struggled in camp. When competing against air or against defenders who aren't really supposed to deliver big hits or anything like that, Legette has always looked mostly fine. Yes, he looks better this camp, but performance in camp hasn't been his problem.

The real problem comes when the games begin. He has yet to be able to translate camp performance into game action.

He has struggled being on the same page with and having chemistry with Bryce Young. He has struggled with spacial awareness on the field. He's struggled to consistently make catches. All of that still has to be seen in game action before we can really believe the hype.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) has a comical moment | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Preseason, which will begin later this month for Panthers starters and the rest of the NFL, will help determine if Legette really has put it all together, but the regular season is where the rubber meets the road.

The Panthers believe he's taking it more seriously, and it has translated to an uptick in camp performance. We just need to see it happen in games before we can declare Legette anything but what he has been: disappointing.

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