The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 25, and we can expect to see plenty of wide receivers waiting in the wings on Thursday evening in Detroit, Michigan as they hope to hear their names called. The 2024 draft class has no shortage of talented wide receivers, among which is South Carolina WR Xavier Legette.
Legette spent all five seasons of his college career as a Gamecock, and finally had a breakout year in 2023 with Spencer Rattler throwing passes for South Carolina. Legette led the Gamecocks with 1,255 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season before declaring for the draft. He is expected to be a late first or early second-round pick.
Xavier Legette: Scouting Report
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein writes:
Legette is tight-hipped with a linear release that makes him susceptible to press. He uses his route running simply as a means of getting to the rendezvous point rather than a chance to con coverage out of position. His star shines brightest once the ball goes up and he’s able to use his body control, play strength and ball skills to impose his will on the coverage. He’s unlikely to become a smooth route runner, but he can handle tough catches and he has stealth acceleration that makes him a credible deep-ball threat. Add toughness as a runner and run blocker to his profile of competitiveness and he becomes a Day 2 talent with the potential to develop into a starter.
Bleacher Report highlighted Legette’s contested catch skills.
He is also a bully-style yards-after-the-catch player thanks to his ample speed and strong build. More importantly, Legette is a devastating contested-catch player. His massive frame and excellent hand-eye coordination make it easy for him to high-point the ball. Legette is also an effortless and flexible mover in the air, which allows him to contort his body as needed to get the ball.
Mock Draft landing spots
NBC’s Mike Florio has Legette landing with the Buccaneers. Mel Kiper sees the Chiefs taking Legette with the final pick of the first round, writing that the WR has “the size, power and explosiveness to provide major upside to the Chiefs’ offense.” Several major mock drafts don’t include Legette in their first round selections, and he may fall to an early Day 2 pick. The Eagles, Saints, and Steelers may all have their eyes set on him, as well.
Fantasy football implications
Legette only had one major breakout year in college, but if he goes early, the team that drafts him will not be afraid to use him. Legette’s ability to come down with contested catches will serve him well, and we could see him becoming an automatic rotational starter in Tampa Bay or in Kansas City. The latter had some issues with wide receiver room talent last season, and adding a moldable and tough rookie to the mix could shoot that player up the fantasy rankings if Patrick Mahomes makes him a frequent target. Legette has the potential to create meaningful fantasy value if placed in either of these franchises.