The first round of the NFL Draft has a certain rhythm and normally has very few surprises. For instance, Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears with the first overall pick was a foregone conclusion. However, Washington QB Michael Penix, Jr., going to Atlanta at number eight raised plenty of eyebrows. And then you have the final selection of the first round.
Right before midnight, the Carolina Panthers made a trade with Buffalo to select USC WR Xavier Legette with the 32nd overall pick.
#Panthers trade into the first round, drafting Xavier Legette at No. 32 overallhttps://t.co/vLOuLCcQZZ
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 26, 2024
To get into the first round, the Panthers sent the Buffalo Bills a fifth-round pick (141st overall) along with No. 33 to get the 32nd and 200th overall picks. Buffalo will now kick off Day 2 of the NFL Draft on Friday night.
In his senior season with the Gamecocks, Legette caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns. The 1,255 receiving yards was the second-highest single-season mark in school history. He finished his Carolina career with 113 receptions for 1,678 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 29 kickoff returns for 767 yards with one TD.
Meanwhile, a couple of picks before Legette was selected by the Panthers, another talented in-state prospect was taken off the board.
With pick No. 30 we have selected CB Nate Wiggins❗
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 26, 2024
Welcome to Baltimore, @WigginNathaniel❗ pic.twitter.com/xhPtL6DCHv
The Baltimore Ravens selected Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the 30th overall pick, addressing an area of need for the Ravens. Wiggins, who runs a 4.28 40-yard dash, will join a Ravens secondary with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Kyle Hamilton, and Marcus Williams.
In three years with the Tigers, Wiggins played in 27 games, recording three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), two forced fumbles, 24 pass deflections, 60 tackles, and one sack.
