CJ Stroud defends Panthers for trading up to draft Xavier Legette

Jeremy Vernon

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CJ Stroud defends Panthers for trading up to draft Xavier Legette image

The Carolina Panthers' decision to trade up into the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night to select South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette has gotten mixed reviews from analysts.

One person who loved the choice — Texans quarterback and 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.

Serving as a guest on Bleacher Report's draft show along with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Stroud spoke up in defense of the Legette pick after analyst Mike Renner gave Carolina a C grade for the selection.

The Panthers traded the No. 33 overall pick, along with a fifth-rounder (No. 141) to Buffalo for No. 32 and a sixth-rounder (No. 200). They then used the last selection of the first to bring in the 6-foot-1, 221-pound receiver.

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"You don't get receivers to all be the same type of route-runners or weapons ..." Stroud said. "Diontae Johnson is a heck of a route-runner and creates a lot of separation. Thielen is another guy who's a vet and is very smart. I think this guy comes in and is that D.K. Metcalf, that Deebo Samuel who can take the top off the defense."

Legette caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns for the Gamecocks this past season. He was a late riser on draft boards after running a blazing 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

While he isn't as tall as Metcalf (6-foot-4), Legette's game does profile similarly to the Seattle receiver. Like Metcalf, Legette has the frame and strength to make contested catches deep down the field and over the middle, and he has the explosiveness to take the ball the distance once it hits his hands.

The knock on Legette is that he is not very polished as a route-runner, but that could just be due to a lack of experience. Before 2023, the receiver only had 42 catches across four seasons. He primarily played on special teams before breaking out as a fifth-year senior.

But, like Stroud said, Carolina already has a pair of route-running technicians on the team in Thielen and Johnson. Legette presents a different threat, one the Panthers didn't have this past season.

"When you look at D.K., he has always had Tyler Lockett. A.J. Brown ... he has DeVonta Smith. They all work off each other. You don't need everybody to be the same type of guy."

Stroud said Legette was high on his personal draft board because he can do a lot of things similar to the way Deebo Samuel operates in the San Francisco offense. Houston's offense resembles the Niners' in many ways, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik spent six years with San Francisco before joining the Texans in 2023.

After the Panthers took Bryce Young at No. 1 overall last year, Stroud wound up going No. 2 to the Texans. He ended up finishing his first year with several NFL rookie records under his belt — including passing yards in a game (470) and the most pass attempts without an interception to start a career (191).

Stroud also became the youngest starting quarterback to win a playoff game when he led Houston to an upset victory over Cleveland in the AFC Wild Card round.  

Carolina has two picks on Day 2 of the draft Friday night — one in the second round (No. 39) and one in the third (No. 65). The Panthers still have needs at edge-rusher, defensive back and offensive line, and there's still a chance they could add another receiver to join the group.

Jeremy Vernon

Jeremy Vernon Photo

Jeremy Vernon is a reporter and editor from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a decade of experience in the industry. His previous stops include MLB.com and two local papers in N.C. — the Monroe Enquirer-Journal and the Chatham News + Record. When he isn’t working, you can likely find Jeremy at the dog park with his two-year old lab mix, Summer.