CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers wideout Xavier Legette dropped weight and followed an offseason plan to “bulletproof” his hamstrings after a disappointing season that saw his production dip in every major receiving category.“My main thing is just to have a better year than my first two years,” Legette said Thursday. “I can’t have another year like I did last year. I can’t do that.”The 2025 season was a difficult one for Legette, who was passed on the depth chart by Tetairoa McMillan, the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, and former undrafted free agent Jalen Coker. Legette, the 32nd pick in 2024, saw his targets decrease from 84 as a rookie to 64, with his receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches all dropping as well.“Just doing the little things that I’ve gotta clean up,” he said during a Zoom. “Just the mishaps that were happening last year, I can’t let that happen.”Legette believes hamstring issues have hindered him since leaving South Carolina, so he and the Panthers strength coach worked out a program he hopes will alleviate those soft-tissue problems.
“That played a big part in everything that I’ve been doing my first two years, limiting me,” he said. “So I’m just trying to bulletproof my hamstrings. Keep my hamstrings intact and keep my body up under me.”At the team’s urging, Legette also is leaner this year. He said he went through organized team activities and minicamp at 221 pounds after playing last season at 228-230.“I feel fast. But I also felt good and I felt fast at the weight I was at,” Legette said. “But that’s where they wanted me to get, and I don’t have no problem with it. I’m willing to do anything.”Legette has become a target of criticism after the Panthers traded up to take him with the final pick of the first round two years ago. He said it’s something he also dealt with at South Carolina, where he didn’t become a full-time starter until his fifth year.The Panthers drafted another receiver this year, taking Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II in the third round. With McMillan sidelined with a foot injury, Coker and veteran David Moore caught a lot of passes from Bryce Young during OTAs and minicamp. Young was among several players who recently joined Legette for a trail ride in his hometown of Mullins, S.C.“Me and Bryce, we ain’t never had a problem. But there’s always room to grow,” Legette said. “Hopefully, we can play with each other for a long time.”Jun 11, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
