ESPN's Mel Kiper projects South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette as first-rounder

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper released his Mock Draft 3.0 and he has South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette going No. 29 overall to the Detroit Lions, tucked into the tail end of the first round.

Legette has improved his stock considerably in the last year after a big season for the Gamecocks and a terrific pre-draft showing.

“You think about a guy like Xavier Legette, he was a kick returner,” Kiper said. “This year he was a dynamic wide receiver presence. Drawing comps maybe to AJ Brown, maybe a guy like that. But a big receiver at 6-1, 222. Ran 4.39 at the Combine. 40.5 vertical. That cemented, I think, Xavier Legette in that late first-round discussion.

“This would be a heck of a pick for the Detroit Lions, because guess what? He’ll catch the football when it’s thrown to him and won’t let you down in a critical game late in the year. Xavier Legette, I think, with the Detroit Lions will be a great pick.”

Legette had a monster senior season after a relatively quiet career at South Carolina before that, tallying 71 catches for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns.

He also returned punts, logging one career touchdown off punt returns and more than 700 yards total.

Fellow ESPN NFL Draft analyst Field Yates also loved the selection of Legette to the Lions, in part because his spectacular showing at the NFL Combine confirmed a lot of things for him.

“It’s one more piece of the puzzle, and when you’re 6-1, 220 pounds and you fly on the field on tape like Xavier Legette does that 4.39 is music to your ears,” Yates said. “One of the big questions surrounding Legette is why was he a one-year wonder at South Carolina? I don’t care, it was so darned good. And things he did before he was a star receiver gives me confidence. This kid has the ideal makeup to become a star in the NFL. He was a special teams standout. I think he’s going to fit perfectly in Detroit. I love this mock draft by Kiper.”

Legette’s senior season far outshined his first four years at South Carolina, in which Legette had 42 catches for 423 yards and five touchdowns.

In any case, he’s now viewed as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. That’s quite the come-up in a year.