Getty South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette is believed to be a solid fit with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After signing Marquise Brown in free agency, the Kansas City Chiefs appeared to be in a comfortable place at wide receiver. They could have still added another rookie in the NFL draft, but they didn’t necessarily have to.
The Rashee Rice court case changes everything, however. With the youngster’s future now uncertain, there’s a world where the Chiefs only have the following pass-catchers under contract in 2025: Skyy Moore, Nikko Remigio and rugby newcomer Louis Rees-Zammit.
Kadarius Toney is also eligible for a fifth-year option this May, but Kansas City is expected to decline — which would allow Toney to hit the open market in 2025.
The good news is that 2024 boasts an extremely deep wide receiver class by most estimations. The Chiefs could theoretically pass on the position in round one — something we’ve seen general manager Brett Veach do in the past — and still find a quality playmaker in round two. Keep in mind, that’s where KC selected Rice and Moore the past two offseasons.
This time around, one name to watch could be South Carolina bruiser Xavier Legette.
Pro Football Focus analyst Dalton Wasserman called the 6-foot-1, 221-pound Legette a “Day 2 fit” for the Chiefs on April 11. Reasoning: “The Chiefs will very likely select a wide receiver early in this year’s draft. Xavier Legette broke out in 2023 after four quiet years at South Carolina.”
“He finished 2023 with the eighth-most receiving yards in the nation and a terrific 86.9 receiving grade,” Wasserman went on. “Legette also had an incredible NFL scouting combine.”
The PFF analyst did acknowledge that Legette’s “route tree is a bit limited,” but also voiced that “he has as much potential as any receiver in this draft.”
Xavier Legette Known for ‘Strong Build,’ YAC Ability, ‘Long Speed’ & ‘Devastating’ Contested Catches at WR
There’s a lot to like when it comes to Legette, but he’s one of the riskier prospects in the draft because of his extremely slow start at the collegiate level.
The former Gamecock 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.
Bleacher Report scouting expert Derrik Klassen described him as a versatile late bloomer with an “NFL-ready frame.”
“While Legette lacks quickness and refinement at the line of scrimmage, he makes up for it with his long speed,” Klassen noted. “He has enough juice to consistently threaten down the field on go routes, posts and deep crossing routes once he starts striding out. He is also a bully-style yards-after-the-catch player thanks to his ample speed and strong build.”
That last part is one of the more enticing aspects of Legette’s transition to the pros. He has a tendency to “bully” college cornerbacks, and that means he should have the physicality to hold up against bigger, tougher professionals.
Klassen also praised Legette as a “devastating contested-catch player” due to his “massive frame and excellent hand-eye coordination.”
His main areas of concern as a prospect revolve around route-running and “refinement,” but most KC fans would probably trust the Chiefs coaching staff to coach up those flaws.
Chiefs Must Come Out of Draft With LT & WR Prospects
If Kansas City has two major needs going into the 2024 draft, they left tackle and wide receiver. It’s imperative to come out of April’s main event with one promising rookie at each of those positions, and then the Chiefs have a lot of breathing room after that.
They could add another running back or guard, both for depth and for the future. They could continue to bulk the secondary with another cornerback or safety. Or KC could bolster the defensive trenches with some sort of pass rusher on the edge or the interior.
Punter is also a possibility in the later rounds — unless the Chiefs plan to hand Matt Araiza the job — and it could be wise to bring in another tight end understudy behind Travis Kelce.
Having said that, all of these minor needs are second to LT and WR. Those two positions must be the priority in 2024.