Panthers trading WR Xavier Legette is not as absurd as you think

Last spring, the Carolina Panthers attempted to address their ailing receiving corps by selecting wide receiver Xavier Legette in the first round of the NFL draft.

Legette's physical attributes and athleticism definitely jumped off the page during his time at South Carolina, and even though he only had one great year with the Gamecocks, his ceiling appeared to be very high.

However, a rough rookie campaign may have changed the outlook for Legette in the eyes of some, as he logged 49 catches for 497 yards and four touchdowns and had a problem with drops. Heck, his debut season is most known for his critical touchdown drop against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, to be fair, Legette is incredibly green and has plenty of time to improve, but the fact that the Panthers took Arizona wide out Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick of the draft this past April is evidence that they may not be entirely confident in Legette moving forward.

Suddenly, Carolina has a rather crowded receiver room that includes Legette, McMillan, Jalen Coker, Adam Thielen and Jimmy Horn Jr., who the Panthers bagged in the sixth round of the draft.

It may seem like a wild thought given that Carolina just acquired Legette last year, but there does exist a world in which the Panthers could trade Legette sooner than you think.

If McMillan immediately establishes himself as a No. 1 threat for Bryce Young (and he very well may) and Coker continues to impress after a strong rookie year, there may not be a whole lot of room for Legette, particularly if Horn develops into a threat, as well.

Now, does this mean the Panthers are going to be trading Legette before the start of the season? Certainly not, but we don't have to look any further than Jonathan Mingo to see that Carolina doesn't waste much time on disappointing pass-catchers.

Perhaps Mingo is an unfair comparison, but if Legette does not get off to a strong start in 2025 and the Panthers' other receivers step up, you do have to wonder if a trade will be a possibility.

The 24-year-old would definitely have some value, and Carolina may look to cash in on it before it's too late.

Of course, Legette could also come out and dominate right from the get-go in the fall. That absolutely can happen, but we also can't rule out the possibility that Legette may not be incredibly long for the Panthers, either.