Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young had himself an impressive 10-game stretch to end his resurgent 2024 campaign. But that season could’ve looked even better if his pass catchers were a bit more reliable.
According to Fantasy Points Data, Young lost out on 210 air yards on on-target throws last year. And despite having started in 12 of 17 games, that total still ranked as the highest in the entire NFL.
Advertisement
One of the main offenders of that unfortunate statistic was then-rookie receiver Xavier Legette. According to Pro Football Focus, the 2024 first-round pick amassed a team-leading eight drops—including one on what could have been a game-winning 32-yard touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14.
Hopefully for Young and the Panthers, their latest first-round selection—University of Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan—will help bring that number down. McMillan, in addition to having an enormous catch radius at 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, has some of the most natural hands you’ll see in a young wideout.
Young—when it comes to lost air yardage in 2024—was followed by Denver’s Bo Nix (163), Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield (132), New Orleans’ Derek Carr (128) and Seattle’s Geno Smith (123).
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers QB Bryce Young ‘led’ the NFL in this unfortunate stat in 2024