Is Coach Telling Us to Be Patient with Xavier Legette?

What They're Saying

Canales: “I think we’ve got that guy, and I think it’s Xavier Legette. And I think it’s up to the coaches to continue to develop him and let him grow at his pace. And so, for me, a great goal for Xavier Legette is let’s just take that next step. This is going to be his first offseason with us, from Phase 1 all way through, and I’d just love to see where that goes. You’ve got a guy that’s 6-2-and-a-half, 225 pounds, and runs 4.3 (40-yard dash speed), and he’s a playmaker and it’s on film. So, it’s like let’s start with that and take the next step with him."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

The report didn't include any specific warning from Canales that we shouldn't expect big things from Legette in his second season. But "let him grow at his pace" sure makes it sound to me like the coach isn't projecting a 2025 breakout.

That's noteworthy for a few reasons:

1. Legette arrived as a raw prospect by most evaluations. Although he wound up leading Panthers WRs in playing time last season, it shouldn't surprise anyone that he's likely to need time to develop -- probably more than your average first-round WR.
2. Legette's already 24. He didn't break out until his fifth season at South Carolina -- at age 22. That was a key knock on his dynasty profile entering last year's draft.
   
3. Legette got outplayed by undrafted rookie WR Jalen Coker in 2024. I laid out the specifics in labeling Coker as a fantasy football breakout candidate for 2025. Jared and I also talked about Coker among these early draft sleepers.

I'm sure the Panthers remain excited about Legette's athleticism and potential. But the reasons many fantasy analysts and managers were wary of him as a prospect shouldn't be forgotten ahead of Year 2.

We'll see what kind of buzz comes out of offseason and training-camp workouts -- as well as whether the team addresses the position in the draft.

Projected ADP Movement

If you do want to bet on Legette in Year 2, you won't have to spend too much to do so.

He sits just 63rd among WRs in best ball ADP at the moment. Perhaps that climbs if the Panthers don't draft a WR early. But it's hard to imagine an ADP spike unless we start getting strong reports on Legette's progress in team workouts.

I remain more interested in Coker for both the short and long term. And he's currently valued even lower.