Head coach Dave Canales set the record straight about the Carolina Panthers’ No. 33 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette went on record and said the Panthers told him the team would draft him if he were available come the second round. Canales admitted to telling Legette that. But he also insinuated Legette wasn’t that special.

“I definitely said that to him and about 50 other guys,” Canales said. “It’s actually a lead-in question. ‘So when we draft you at 33, what happens now?’ And then there’s a bunch of questions that happen after that.”

The Panthers have long been linked to the South Carolina product. Carolina has met with the Legette a handful of times, and the team’s need for a wide receiver is ever-present.

That doesn’t mean Carolina will definitely draft him. Canales and Dan Morgan could head in a different direction, addressing other needs: Edge, the secondary, or offensive line.

Still, Legette represents the flashiest pick. He also oozes NFL potential.

Panthers coach Dave Canales on South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette saying the team told him he would be the pick if available at 33: ‘‘I’ve told him and about 50 others that.’’ pic.twitter.com/gzhfm9B1p5

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) April 24, 2024