Sportsnaut
The Carolina Panthers have experienced some of the lowest lows in the NFL. Yet, after going through such hard times, it just makes the good times even more satisfying. General manager Dan Morgan knows what those peaks and valleys are all about, having played in a Super Bowl as a player, but also living through a rookie season where the Panthers finished with just a 1-15 record.
Now, Morgan is doing his best to help the Panthers avoid more down seasons while helping them reach new highs as the team’s general manager. Yet, like anyone, he’s admittedly made some mistakes, and isn’t afraid to move on from them.
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One decision Morgan and the rest of the Panthers’ front office likely regrets is making wide receiver Xavier Legette the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After a 33-year-old Adam Thielen led the team with 1,014 receiving yards in 2023, and no one else topped the 550-yard mark, it was clear that the Panthers needed to improve the receiving corps, but some might suggest Legette was the wrong pick at the wrong time.
Despite being the seventh-highest receiver picked in 2024, Legette ranks 11th in receiving yards among his draft class. Making matters worse, is Ladd McConkey, selected two slots after Legette, ranks second in receiving yards and first in touchdowns.
Now, as The Athletic‘s Joe Person suggests, unless the 25-year-old receiver takes a leap in his development, the Panthers could be ready to move on from Legette this fall.
The Panthers have continued investing into the receiver position since adding Legette in 2024. In 2025, they latched onto another first-round receiver, selecting Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall. He went on to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. They added even more competition in the 2026 NFL Draft by making Chris Brazzell II the 83rd overall pick in the third round.
Add those two, plus the former undrafted free agent signee in Coker, and the Panthers’ receiving corps is rounding into form. Whether Legette is still a part of that foundation remains to be seen, but chances are he’ll be given more than enough opportunities to produce.
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