Xavier Legette NFL Draft 2024: Combine Results, Scouting Report For South Carolina WR

NFL TRANSITION:

As you project and transition Legette to the next level, he is a specific kind of receiver at this point in his development, given his traits profile. He has a strong, muscular frame and excellent straight-line speed, which was most evident when running after the catch more than on vertical routes when he did not consistently get on top of corners.

Legette was at his best on movement routes, where his acceleration, burst and speed were the defining factors. Those routes also gave him the opportunity to run after catch, which was a strength of his game. Another strength was his location versatility, lining up outside and inside with multiple splits. There were also snaps in which he lined up offset in the backfield.

Legette is not Deebo Samuel, but his size and the physical and competitive component that he brings, plus his formation versatility and experience as a motion receiver, might lead some to believe he can become that kind of player within an NFL offense.

Another player I saw watching Legette was DK Metcalf. Their body type and rigid straight-line, explosive speed are similar. There are significant areas in which Legette must improve. Some of those he can and some he can't, because they are part of his body structure.

Legette, due to his frame, is much stiffer than loose, and that limits his ability to change directions, which, again, is one reason he is best at running routes that are linear.

He needs to develop greater refinement and nuance in his route running to win more effectively at the top of his route stem and create separation vs. man coverage. Additionally, he needs to improve significantly with his release off the ball vs press coverage.

Legette’s traits profile, with his size and speed, will absolutely find a place in the NFL. Depending on the team, scheme and deployment, he could be a Day 2 pick, but much development is needed to become a more complete receiver that would be WR1 in an offense.

OTHER NOTES:

Legette played 53 games with 32 starts in his South Carolina career, finishing with an outstanding 2023 season: 71-1255-7 TD.

Legette aligned outside and the slot in South Carolina’s offense, with 44 of his 99 targets coming out of the slot (31-645 for 20.8 yards per rection with 3 of his 7 TD).

There were also snaps when he lined up offset in the backfield. Legette predominantly ran movement routes: slant-glance routes, vertical routes, crossers and over concepts that maximized his linear speed and minimized his tight core.

Legette was featured on shallow crossers and drive routes in South Carolina’s pass game. He was also used on jet sweeps, which got him moving with his build up speed and size being a factor.