XavierLegette

News: 5 days agoLegette (foot) returned to practice Monday morning, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Spin: Legette left practice early Aug. 4 and missed Thursday's 17-3 preseason loss to New England. He'll now have five days to prepare for the Panthers' second preseason game this Saturday against the Jets, and there's still time to make a run at a starting job. The lengthy list of starters held out of the preseason opener didn't include WR Jonathan Mingo, who played against the Patriots despite repping with the first-team offense in practice this summer. Mingo took one carry for six yards and dropped his only target.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The Panthers selected Legette with the 32nd pick in the 2024 NFL draft, giving young quarterback Bryce Young another receiver to target in a retooled Carolina offense under coach Dave Canales. Veterans Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson should still dominate targets for the Panthers, which will make it tough for the rookie to emerge this season, particularly in the early going. But Legette does have incredibly strong hands and a nice combination of both speed and power, which is why Carolina spent such a valuable pick on him. Given Young's inconsistency and the state of the team's offense last season, it's hard to see Legette breaking out as long as Thielen and Johnson are the preferred targets in front of him on the depth chart. He's a clear dynasty target and a player to keep an eye on during training camp for redraft leagues to see how his role is shaping up.