NFL: Carolina Panthers OTA

Carolina Panthers first-round pick Xavier Legette is being held out of a mandatory minicamp because of a lingering hamstring injury, head coach Dave Canales said Tuesday. Canales also said edge rusher DJ Johnson, who was carted off during the first day of minicamp Tuesday, has a calf injury and will miss the rest of the session. The first-year coach said he expects both Legette, a wide receiver, and Johnson to be ready for training camp. The Panthers traded with the Buffalo Bills to obtain the 32nd pick and select the 6-foot-3, 227-pound Legette out of South Carolina. In five seasons, he caught 113 passes for 1,678 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Gamecocks. He had a career-best season in 2023 with 71 receptions for 1,255 yards and seven scores. Johnson, 25, started three of his 13 games as a rookie in 2023 and totaled 16 tackles with one tackle for loss. The Panthers selected him in the third round of the 2023 draft out of Oregon. Canales also said that linebacker Eku Leota has a calf injury and will miss minicamp; running back Miles Sanders has a heel injury that kept him off the field Tuesday as a precautionary measure; and linebacker D.J. Wonnum will be participating at his own speed while dealing with a quad issue. --Field Level Media