Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan may have knocked his last two NFL draft classes out of the park. In 2025, he selected the eventual AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and a promising pair of pass rushers, then followed that up this spring with two potential long-term pillars in the trenches.

Morgan’s very first draft at the helm, though, may go down as a strikeout.

That class was headed by first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette, who the Panthers traded up to the 32nd overall spot for. Legette has struggled to find his footing since then, having amassed just 860 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

There’s still time for Legette to turn things around, but it’s rapidly running out. If he had hit the ground running as a rookie, he might now be the team’s undisputed No. 1. Instead, going into his third year, he’s in danger of falling out of the starting lineup entirely.

Joe Person at The Athletic outlined what’s ahead for Legette in his OTA storylines column, opining that the 25-year-old pass catcher may not be able to hold on to his standing with a few new additions coming on board. Person writes:

Now it’s fair to question whether Legette can hold on to the WR3 spot after Morgan selected Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell in the third round and took a flier on John Metchie… The eternally optimistic Canales still seems bullish on Legette figuring things out, but a disappointing start to the season could land him on the trading block by October.

Legette struggled with drops in 2024, which isn’t uncommon for rookies. His issues, however, snowballed into 2025—where he began to lose playing time after making routine errors in his mechanics and spacial awareness.

Although Legette winding up on the trade block seems like a foregone conclusion, the Panthers will likely be disappointed by whatever offers they may get for him when the deadline comes around. But if Legette doesn’t look like a completely different player when this coming season begins, the Panthers should probably take whatever they can get for him.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL rumors: Panthers WR Xavier Legette could hit trade block in 2026