The 2o24 NFL draft class is expected to have a lot of talented players, including some promising wide receivers. Xavier Legette, a highly-rated 4-star recruit from high school, committed to playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks. However, he struggled to get playing time in his first few years due to the presence of more experienced receivers on the team and some injuries. Through his first 4 seasons in college football, he left a lot to be desired. He has the height, weight, speed, and strength that is needed to be an elite wide receiver but it wasn’t translating. So going into his final season in college football he knew that he needed to perform if he ever wanted to play in the NFL, and he did exactly that.
In week one when the Gamecocks played the Tarheels Xavier Legette went off for 178 receiving yards. This was just the beginning of what Xavier Legette was going to show in his senior season. He would go on to have big games against Furman, Florida, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. Those games would all look small in comparison to his week 10 performance against Jacksonville State. He would go nuclear in that game going for 217 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-28 win. Legette would earn a Senior Bowl invite at the end of the season. The Senior Bowl is his chance to make a push to be a night one selection on draft day.
Strengths
- He has an elite catch radius demonstrating elite hand strength and physicality to make a play on any highly contested pass.
- He has the physicality at the line of scrimmage to easily beat press coverage and gain an immediate advantage against the defensive back
- Incredibly flexible and agile
- Can play at any level on the field and be effective
- He has incredible size, 6’1″ 221 pounds built more like a tight end but has the athleticism and speed to play outside of the numbers.
- Has the burst and agility to take angles better than most players his size
- Shows great awareness of the field being able to make high-point catches near the sidelines
- Shows impressive ability to stop and go in an instant
- Shows the upside of being an elite YAC receiver at the NFL level
- Above average run blocking with the potential to be great
Weaknesses
- Only one season of production will keep teams weary of it being a fluke
- Will struggle against zone coverage as he relies too much on the bully ball kind of playstyle
- Route tree will need to be added to and tweaked as he lacks much creativity in his route-running
- Sometimes relies too much on having to make the big play on contested catches not creating enough separation
Projected Draft Position: Early Round 2
NFL Comparison: A.J. Brown
Best fits: Panthers, Chiefs, Patriots
Bottom Line on Xavier Legette
Legette is an extraordinary athlete who possesses the physique of a tight end but moves like an elite wide receiver. Although it took him until the final year of his college career to shine, it all looks worth it now. With his upcoming appearances at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, where he is anticipated to be one of the top performers, Leggete’s draft stock is expected to rise even further.
Legette’s elite catch radius is the strongest part of his game, making no ball look uncatchable to him. His ability to high-point a pass is remarkable, and he uses his incredible hand strength to maintain control. Despite this, he remains aware of the sideline at all times.
Legette doesn’t just catch the ball in improbable situations; he can also use his strength and speed to gain yards after the catch. His hip movement and burst when getting downfield are impressive, and he takes the right angle when running. He’s faster than almost every other receiver in the draft, making him an unstoppable force when moving downfield.
However, Legette does have some weaknesses. He struggles more against zone defenses as he won’t sit on his routes. While he can win at the line of scrimmage with strength, his lack of speed off the snap hurts his ability to separate. His route tree is also quite basic, and he’ll need to work on it to get open against an NFL defense.
Legette took a long time to produce in college, so it’s hard to tell if he’s a one-year wonder or a future WR1. His boom-or-bust nature might scare off teams that need a surefire thing. He has had a few injuries in the past that might slightly hurt his draft stock, but they shouldn’t affect it too much. His age (23 years old) might also make some teams cautious when drafting him.
Despite these concerns, Legette is the kind of wide receiver every NFL team needs. As long as he performs at a high level during off-season activities, he should see a rise in stock. His raw athleticism and size should be enough for teams to take the risk. As the draft season continues, every receiver-needy team’s fans should keep an eye on Legette, as he could be the future wide receiver one of their team or the next big draft bust.
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Main Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
