Dynasty Rookie Report Card: Xavier Legette & Malachi Corley

Each week throughout the 2024 NFL season, I’ll cover two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and will generally write about the most prominent performers from that particular week. I’ll discuss how well he’s lived up to expectations at the NFL level and then grade the player in three categories: performance to date, rookie season potential, and long-term upside.

Xavier Legette, WR CAR

Week 9 stats: 4 receptions on 6 targets for 33 yards and one touchdown, and one carry for six yards.

After a bit of a slow start, the Panthers’ Xavier Legette is becoming a steady producer. He found the end zone in week nine, his second straight game with a score, and has scored in three of his last four games and in four of his last six. With Diontae Johnson out in week eight and playing for the Ravens in week nine, Legette has officially become the Panthers WR1 (although, somehow, he is being outsnapped by David Moore). He has led the team in targets in his top receiver role, with four receptions in each game and 33 and 34 yards, respectively. In a lost season for a bad Carolina team, Legette has been one of the few bright spots so far.

In college, Legette basically did nothing for four seasons. In his first four years in college, he amassed only 42 receptions in 41 games. Then, as a 22-year old fifth-year senior, Legette finally broke out, putting up 71 receptions in 12 games while accumulating 1255 yards—75% of his 1678-yard college career total. So far he passes the eyeball test and doesn’t look out of place in the NFL, but it begs to question why he couldn’t do more over his first four seasons in college.