Xavier Legette Visits Lions

Lions hosted South Carolina WR on pre-draft visit.

Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Xavier Legette. / Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions have the opportunity to add a premium playmaker Thursday in the first round of the NFL Draft.

With no clear holes on the roster, Lions' general manager Brad Holmes has the flexibility to go in a number of directions. As a result, the organization has done its homework on a number of talented prospects.

One such Draft hopeful is South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette, who took a pre-draft visit to Allen Park. It was one of 14 visits he took this offseason.

The Lions have a need that Legette fits. While the team has an All-Pro slot receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown and a budding star in Jameson Williams, they lack a big-bodied 'X' receiver.

Legette, who posted 1,255 receiving yards for the Gamecocks in 2023, fits that bill. He also has showcased a confidence to be an impact blocker in the run game, which is a quality that the Lions desire.

"Our mentality at South Carolina, you have to be fast, strong, and physical. That’s the way it works in (offensive coordinator) Dowell Loggains’ offense," Legette told The Draft Network. "Physicality was the main thing we were looking for. We built our program on physicality. As long as you’re physical, you’re getting on the field for South Carolina. Me being a good run blocker was more important than me getting the ball. That’s how I saw it."

The wideout is viewed as a fringe first-round pick with a likelihood to be off the board early in the second. As a result, the 29th overall pick may be the only chance the Lions have to select him.

Legette had a solid showing at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, posting a sub-4.4 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical. As a result, he has the look of a matchup problem for opposing cornerbacks at the next level.

Other wide receivers currently on the Lions' roster include Kalif Raymond, Antoine Green and Donovan Peoples-Jones.