CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales had nothing but positive things to say about quarterback Bryce Young Tuesday during the NFC coaches breakfast at the NFL's annual league meetings, saying the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft "does well in high-stakes situations.''
He left no doubt Young would play a significant role in the organization's future, something he couldn't say a year ago when there was so much uncertainty following a disastrous rookie season by the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner.
That's something no Carolina coach has been able to say the past seven seasons, during which they've had 10 different starting quarterbacks.
The big Panthers question in South Florida -- outside of the defense -- was whether Young has enough talent at wide receiver, specifically an elite No. 1 receiver, to thrive.
Canales admitted the team had conversations about trading for Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalf, a player he coached for four seasons while with the Seahawks. The two-time Pro Bowl selection ended up going to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a new five-year, $150 million contract that was out of Carolina's price range.
Canales and general manager Dan Morgan focused their free agent spending on fixing what was the NFL's last-place defense in 2024, in part because of position needs but also because they believe Young already has a top-tier receiver.
"I think we've got that guy. I think it's Xavier Legette,'' Canales said of the No. 32 pick of the 2024 draft. "It's up to the coaches to just continue to develop him and let him grow at his pace.''
Legette showed some promise last season. He ranked eighth among rookie receivers last season in catches (49) and receiving yards (497). The Panthers used him as a deep threat, as he ran vertical routs 41.3% of the time, ninth among all wide receivers, according to ESPN Research.
Nine of his 82 targets were on throws of at least 20 yards. Only Troy Franklin of the Denver Broncos had more (12).
The downside is Legette didn't catch any of those nine passes. Two were drops, including a potential game-winning touchdown in December against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. That left the former South Carolina star tied with Dontayvion Wicks of the Green Bay Packers for the most such drops last season.
Legette finished with five drops overall for a 6.1 drop rate, tied with the Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle for the fifth highest rate among receivers with at least 75 targets. He also averaged 2.2 yards after catch, the fourth fewest among receivers with at least 75 targets.
Despite those issues, Canales saw enough to believe Legette can reach the same status as Metcalf, who had 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2019 and then blossomed into a star in Year 2 with 83 catches for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He believes having a full offseason with the Carolina staff will pay dividends.
"You've got a guy who's 6-2 1/2, 225 pounds and runs a 4.3 (40-yard dash),'' Canales said. "And he's a playmaker. It's on film. So let's start there and take the next step with him.''
That doesn't mean the Panthers won't draft a receiver, although that seems unlikely with the No. 8 overall pick, in part because of the defensive needs and in part because this isn't a strong receiver draft class.
Still, Canales said Carolina would "love'' to get another playmaker for Young.
"Honestly, what we did in free agency allows us to take the best available,'' Canales said. "I look across the depth chart and the first 11 guys that you put out there, before you get into your rotation, I feel good about playing good football right now.''
But if Carolina takes a wide receiver early, that likely means they chose to trade back in Round 1 because the defensive player Morgan wants isn't there, or they made the pick in the second (No. 57) or third round (No. 74).
The Panthers are using two of their top 30 pre-draft visits on wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona and Jaylin Noel of Iowa State. McMillan is a potential top-10 pick. Noel is projected to go in the third round or lower.
Don't discount the impact of taking a receiver in the later rounds. Carolina's all-time leading receiver, Steve Smith Sr., was a third-round pick out of Iowa.
As for Carolina's existing receiving group of Legette, veteran Adam Thielen, 2024 undrafted rookie Jalen Coker and journeyman David Moore, Morgan said at the NFL combine "I love our receiver room.''
But how much he loves the group depends largely on how well Legette improves in his second season.
History shows there's reason for optimism. Since 2010, 49 receivers drafted in the top 50 have had fewer than 600 receiving yards as rookies and then had 800-plus yards as sophomores.
Among the examples are Alshon Jeffery (24 catches, 367 yards; 89 catches, 1,421 yards), Brandin Cooks (53-550; 84-1,138), Michael Pittman Jr. (40-503; 88-1,082 yards) and Dez Bryant (45-561; 63-928).
Canales can see Legette making those strides, calling him an "over-worker'' in his will to improve.
"He's wired the right way,'' the second-year head coach said. "He's grinding. He's in there, he's doing stuff. You can't get him out of the building. And with the hard work, it'll all pay off for him.''