Panthers second-year wide receiver Xavier Legette knows he struggled with drops as a rookie, the most notable being a Week 14 flub that would have given Carolina a late lead over the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles.
"Me getting open, that wasn't a problem. It was just honing into to really catching the ball on the drops," Legette said Tuesday, via the team's official website. "Mainly just trying to catch it more with my hands and letting it get into my body or crossing my eyes."
According to Pro Football Focus, Legette was charted with eight drops on 81 targets, corralling 49 passes for 497 yards and four touchdowns. His 14.0 drop percentage, per PFF, ranked third-highest among players with at least 75 targets.
His goal in 2025 is to focus on negating those negatives, but he won't let it overwhelm his mentality. Legette said taking accountability for the drops, like against Philadelphia, is part of the maturity process.
"I wouldn't say it was harder (on myself) than I needed to be," Legette said. "I mean, I cost us those games."
Legette is part of a fairly crowded receiver room in Carolina. First-rounder Tetairoa McMillan, Legette, veteran Adam Thielen, sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr., Jalen Coker, and veteran David Moore are all vying for reps. If Legette is to remain one of the top three targets, he'll need to be more consistent than his rookie campaign.
