Panthers HC Dave Canales talks about what Xavier Legette brings to the offense

The cat is back in the bag.

On Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers traded up into the 32nd overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft to select wide receiver Xavier Legette. Now, that move may not have come as a surprise to those who took in our interview with the University of South Carolina standout—who told analyst John Crumpler that the team essentially assured him that he’d be their pick.

Head coach Dave Canales, who then pushed back a bit on Legette’s comment, was asked about that “promise” during his post-pick press conference.

“We loved him,” he replied with a smile. “I’m not gonna sit here and lie about that, for sure. But, yeah, I meant what I said. There’s a lot of guys that we were excited about at that area—33, even late in the first round.”

Canales explained to reporters on Wednesday that he gave quite a few other prospects the same scenario. He stated that he used the “promise” as a lead-in question to gauge each player’s thought process.

But now that they bagged Legette, Canales is excited about what his newest weapon can bring to the offense.

“Versatility is huge for us,” he said. “So when you get a guy who can really run, a guy who can highpoint the ball, a guy that can carry it, you can give him the ball different ways—he just brings a lot of versatility.

“Now, with that being said, he’s got a long way to go. He’s gotta learn our stuff. He’s gotta figure out the system and find out how he fits into the whole thing—not just the pass game, but the run game as well. Just speaking to that, I’m really excited to bring his talents to our offense—and at the same time, I’m sure he knows too, he’s got a lot of work in front of him.”

Well, that’s another promise Canales and crew may have to keep.