Getty The Kansas City Chiefs were warned about selecting South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette in the NFL draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to select a wide receiver at some point within the first two or three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Throughout the offseason, various WR prospects have been mocked to KC, but a recent popular draft riser has been gaining some steam as the big weekend approaches — South Carolina playmaker Xavier Legette. The April 10 Mel Kiper Jr. mock draft with ESPN even had the Chiefs selecting Legette as early as No. 32 overall.
On April 20, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine wrote an article warning teams about potential draft targets, and he chose Legette when it came to cautioning Kansas City.
“It’s a wide receiver’s dream to be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs,” Ballentine began. “Getting to play with the NFL’s best quarterback-head coach combo is an ideal scenario, especially when that team needs a wide receiver. But it’s important to remember why the Chiefs need a receiver.”
“Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney were both young, exciting prospects who haven’t reached their potential as projects,” the analyst went on. And you could throw Mecole Hardman into that conversation too.
“Even in the Chiefs’ explosive offense, it takes the right receivers to make things work,” Ballentine noted, and he fears that Legette’s lack of route-running “refinement” could turn him into another KC disappointment at wide receiver.
“He is not skilled at battling at the line of scrimmage, nor is he a developed route-runner who can mix up his approach to keep defensive backs guessing,” Bleacher Report scouting expert Derrik Klassen stated, regarding Legette.
Instead, Ballentine recommended that the Chiefs target a more “polished” receiver like Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, or a new left tackle prospect to compete with Wanya Morris in 2024.
Ex-NFL QB Robert Griffin III Calls Xavier Legette ‘Match Made in Heaven’ With Chiefs
Legette is becoming a polarizing fit in Kansas City. Some appear to love the youngster as another perfect weapon for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, while others like Ballentine are wary.
“Xavier Legette on the @Chiefs would be a match made in heaven,” former NFL quarterback turned analyst Robert Griffin III voiced on April 18.
Adding: “Andy Reid covets versatility and Leggette played outside and in the slot at [South Carolina]. Give Mahomes a guy who can turn a slant into a 60-yard TD and Xavier could be that anchor leg to help them run down a 3 peat.”
On that note, NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein highlighted Legette’s “sneaky burst” and “stealth acceleration.” He also scouted Legette’s size, play strength and contested catch ability as major positives to his game.
But the question remains, is Legette a one-hit wonder?
Xavier Legette Only Had 1 Productive College Season
Legette is definitely not a safe prospect by any means. That doesn’t mean he won’t succeed at the NFL level, but there will be risk attached if any team selects the South Carolina product in round one or two.
The 6-foot-1 pass-catcher did not register over 200 receiving yards in a single season from 2019 through 2022. Then, as a fifth-year senior, Legette exploded with 71 catches for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns.
At the same time, the former Gamecock also never had 30 targets in any campaign before 2023, so the argument could be made that his lack of production stemmed from a lack of opportunity.
At the end of the day, the Legette debate may come down to where he’s picked. If the Chiefs were to take him at No. 32 overall — as Kiper predicted — that could be viewed as a reach around the league.
If he slips within striking distance in round two, however, that might not be so bad.
Legette is a physical, athletic asset that can do damage with the ball in his hands. The trick is scheming him open and fine-tuning his game. If Kansas City were to spend a premium draft pick on the 2023 breakout, it would surely mean they’re confident in their ability to bring the best out of him long-term.