A couple of Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers are dealing with injury issues. DeVonta Smith will miss his first game of the season against the L.A. Rams in Week 4 due to a hamstring strain, while Hollywood Brown will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury.
Given these injuries, the Eagles have been labeled as an ideal landing spot for a young wide receiver who was a first-round pick just a couple of years ago.
Eagles Named Top Landing Spot for Panthers WR Xavier Legette
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named the Eagles as an ideal landing spot for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette, who has seemingly fallen out of favor in Carolina despite the fact that he was a first-round pick by the team just two years ago, and thus could be available leading up to the trade deadline in November.
“In 2024, the Carolina Panthers traded up to take wide receiver Xavier Legette with the last pick in the first round. He was expected to become a go-to target for quarterback Bryce Young, but he’s been anything but an impact receiver,” Knox wrote.
“. . . Legette may simply not be cut out to be a true No. 1 receiver, but he could still establish himself as a high-end complementary target. He should hope to land with a potent passing offense that would make use of his 4.39 speed, 6’1″, 220-pound frame, and physical playing style.”
Legette has just two receptions for 64 yards on the current campaign.
Eagles Need More From First-Round Pick
After drafting a wide receiver in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft and adding a couple more via free agency over the offseason, it seems unlikely that the Eagles will try to trade for a receiver, Legette or otherwise. The injuries to Smith and Brown aren’t expected to be too prolonged, so they’ll just have to hope that those guys can get back in short order.
In the meantime, the Eagles will need to get more from rookie receiver Makai Lemon, who has just 7 receptions for 38 yards on the season. This isn’t saying that Lemon needs to be better, but rather the Eagles need to go a better job of getting him involved and putting him in position to succeed. That means not throwing him predictable screen passes several yards behind the line of scrimmage with minimal blocking. If they can get Lemon going as a downfield threat, it could help to stem the tide until Smith can get back.
