Panthers trade up, draft South Carolina WR Xavier Legette with final pick of first round

DETROIT (WBTV) - After entering the night without a selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Panthers ended up making the final selection of the night after a last-minute trade.

Carolina selected South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette with the 32nd overall pick after moving up from the 33rd overall pick in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.

The trade sent picks 33 (second round) and 141 (fifth round) to Buffalo in exchange for picks 32 (first round) and 200 (sixth round).

Legette skyrocketed up draft boards after an impressive senior season with the Gamecocks. He finished with 1255 receiving yards and seven touchdowns after having previously never topped 200 yards in any of his previous four seasons in Columbia.

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He joins Diontae Johnson, who came from the Steelers via trade this offseason, to hopefully serve as part of a revamped offense for second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Carolina ranked last in the NFL last season in passing yards (3245) and second-to-last in passing touchdowns (13).

Next up, the Panthers will make the seventh pick in the second round (39th overall) Friday night, and then will pick again in the third round with the 65th overall selection.

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