Jimmy Horn Jr. gave the Panthers something to think about in their preseason opener, and Dave Canales noticed.
As Carolina gets ready for its second preseason game Saturday in Buffalo against the Bills, the focus is still on the roster battles that opened up when the starters sat out last Thursday’s 33-30 comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals. That game became a chance for Canales and his staff to sort through the players fighting for spots, and Horn made one of the strongest pushes.
The wideout caught four of his seven targets for 44 yards, leading Carolina in the preseason win. For a player trying to carve out a role again, it was the kind of showing that can change the conversation.
Horn, a 2025 sixth-round pick, made the roster last season but saw little action during the year. He comes into this season in a similar place, needing to keep proving he belongs.
Canales said Horn did exactly that.
"Really, Jimmy made a great case," Canales replied. "I think we talked the week before-just opportunities.
The ball just wasn't finding him in practice. But all of a sudden, you get in a game-he's still fast, he's still tough, he's still competitive.
And all of a sudden, he's making these plays that we've been wanting to see him make.
"So, he really did a great job representing himself in that game and just getting a few more reps with the first group and second group during practices."
Horn’s performance also matters because Carolina lost rookie Chris Brazzell for the year, which created another opening in the wide receiver competition. Even so, Horn is hardly alone in that fight. Brycen Tremayne, John Metchie III, and Ja’seem Reed are all still in the mix for that spot.
So while Horn’s outing against Arizona gave him a real boost, nothing is locked in yet. The next few practices and preseason reps will tell the rest of the story.
In Other News...
Panthers Depth Chart Just Raised The Pressure On Several Roster Battles
Before the Panthers even took the field for their first preseason game, their unofficial depth chart offered a few early hints about how the roster battles are shaping up. Trevin Wallace is positioned ahead of Claudin Cherelus at the second linebacker spot opposite Devin Lloyd, Jimmy Horn is listed over John Metchie, and Cam Jackson appears set to start on the defensive line, all of which gives the coaching staffs early pecking order a little more clarity.
The chart also added more pressure to an already crowded tight end group, especially after Carolina signed Darren Waller following the release. Ja'Tavion Sanders has slid behind other players in the competition and is no longer sitting in a comfortable spot, which means the next stretch of camp work and preseason snaps could carry a lot more weight than usual for anyone trying to stick on the final roster. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Camp Suddenly Has A Receiver Battle Bryce Young Fans Will Watch
Training camp has already thinned out several parts of Carolinas roster, with injuries hitting premium spots and forcing the Panthers to look deeper down the depth chart for answers. One of the more interesting openings has come at wide receiver, where free-agent pickup John Metchie III has been working into the mix behind the top names and into a job that suddenly looks more approachable than it did a few weeks ago.
The competition for the No. 3 role has drawn notice because Xavier Legette and David Moore are in the picture too, but the intrigue around Metchie goes beyond the camp reps. He already has a built-in connection with Bryce Young from their Alabama days, a link Panthers fans know well, and it gives this battle a little extra weight as the offense tries to sort itself out around a quarterback who could use reliable options emerging fast. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Receiver Battle Just Put A Surprising Roster Hope On Edge
With Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan already looking secure, the Panthers receiver room has turned into a fight for whatever comes after the obvious names. That leaves a cluster of camp standouts trying to make the best possible case over the rest of the preseason, with Jimmy Horn Jr. and John Metchie among the players working to stick on the final group.
Horn has shown enough in camp to keep his name in the conversation, which is part of why the roster picture has gotten tricky. The Panthers still have decisions to make at wide receiver, and as those calls get tighter, one of the more surprising possibilities is that a solid summer wont be enough to guarantee Horn a place when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]