Xavier Legette draft projection: 3 best NFL landing spots for South Carolina WR

Xavier Legette is going into the NFL Draft. In a deep wide receiver class, the South Carolina product is hoping to stand out and make a name for himself at the combine and force his way into the conversation. Legette is a little older than some of his counterparts, but he put together a pretty good CFB career and is hoping to continue his impressive play for some NFL team. Which one that will be remains to be seen, but some teams could use him better than others.

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Xavier Legette's draft profile in the spotlight

Xavier Legette is projected by some scouts and analysts as a potential late first-round pick. Others have him in the second or third round, so there's truly a wide variance in terms of where he's expected to go.

In 2023, the SC product played 12 games and had the following receiving stats: 71 catches, 1,255 yards (17.7 average), and 7 TDs. That's more than solid considering he wasn't part of a big school with elite offense and a top QB.

Where will Xavier Legette go?

He also made the second-team All-SEC, so he was notable even in the best conference in the nation. The only major knock from his season is that his stats aren't overwhelming for an upper classman.

He has the following measurables:

• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 223
• Hand: 8 7/8"
• Arm: 31 5/8"
• Wingspan: 77 1/4"

Legette is not overwhelmingly large, but he does have pretty good size for his position. One of the best things about him is his contested catch ability, which is something a lot of the best NFL WRs have.

He also has decent speed for his size and has the ability to run downfield for long balls and stretch the field a bit. Legette is also pretty good with the ball in his hands, so he looks like a multi-faceted player.

He doesn't have great footwork and by extension route running. He lacks some explosiveness off the line, which will give NFL corners an advantage until he adjusts. He also doesn't reach top speed quickly, so he needs some distance to truly get going.

As things stand, Legette comes in at #89 on Tony Pauline's big board of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Xavier Legette draft projection: Best fits for South Carolina WR

3) Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have an interesting conundrum at the wide receiver position. Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins are free agents this year, and while Higgins might be franchise tagged, he's not going to be on that for more than a year. After that, Ja'Marr Chase is going to be paid handsomely, and it's time to find a rookie WR to pair with him so that they can afford a talented playmaker on offense from the second or third round.

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2) New York Giants

This heavily depends on whether or not Marvin Harrison Jr. falls to them at six, but the New York Giants will be picking early in the second and third rounds and could add Xavier Legette to their team. The South Carolina product would give Daniel Jones a big-bodied target in the red zone and someone who could make big plays, something he really hasn't had in his NFL career.

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1) Carolina Panthers

Adam Thielen could mentor Xavier Legette

The Carolina Panthers might need multiple pass-catchers in this draft, and a talented one that could be easily available to them in round three leaves their best pick (33 overall) to be used on someone more impactful or at the offensive line position. He would come in and learn from Adam Thielen, which is good, and he and Jonathan Mingo could grow together as the young wide receiver duo for Bryce Young in Charlotte.

In a recent interview with USA Today, Legette said that he met with the Panthers "4 or 5 times," adding that the franchise has mentioned that he would be their pick at 33rd overall if he's still on the board.