Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has earned rave reviews for his last two draft classes. But unfortunately, his first hasn’t panned out too well.
At the top of that group was South Carolina wideout Xavier Legette, who the Panthers pounced on at the very end of the first round. Carolina was banking on Legette’s attributes—namely a high level of size and athleticism—to come through in the pros. That, however, hasn’t happened yet—and going into Year 3, the 25-year-old is deep into bust territory.
If they had to do it over again, odds are that Morgan would draft somebody else at that spot. In a new 2024 re-draft from CBS Sports, the Panthers take Oregon product and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving instead.
Zachary Pereles notes:
Another fourth-rounder jumping to the hypothetical first round to finish off this exercise! Irving’s tough 2025 shouldn’t completely overshadow an excellent rookie year. His 1,514 yards from scrimmage in 2024 were sixth-most ever by a player drafted in the fourth round or later.
Taking Irving would actually make up for two poor picks. After using their first on Legette, the Panthers took Texas running back Jonathon Brooks in Round 2—and he’s spent the vast majority of the last two seasons on injured reserve due to a pair of ACL tears.
You don’t need to tell Carolina what Irving is capable of. His 98-yard touchdown against the Panthers in 2024 may be seared into the memory of many fans—and that kind of explosiveness is exactly what Carolina’s running back room is missing.
It’s possible that a healthy Brooks will prove to be a good pick, and Legette could still earn himself a serious role in the Panthers’ passing game. Ifs and coulds and may-haves tend not to pay out, though.
The good news is Morgan has seemingly taken the harsh lessons from that draft class to heart, and has done a much better job since.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers take rival RB over WR Xavier Legette in 2024 re-draft
About the Author
