The latest unofficial depth chart from the Panthers doesn’t carry the weight of a final roster cutdown, but it does tell you where the team’s thinking stands right now.
One of the clearest clues is at wide receiver, where special teams value is still buying players real estate. Brycen Tremayne sits ahead of Ja'Seem Reed, and that says plenty about how Carolina is weighing the bottom of the receiver room. Reed has put together a strong training camp and preseason, and the source material notes he’s outplaying most receivers on the roster, but he still trails Tremayne in the current pecking order.
Up front, the guard situation hasn’t budged after a rough offensive showing against the Bills. That game was ugly for several reasons, but the thin guard rotation played a major role.
With Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt out, the unit was stretched beyond its comfort zone and the offense suffered for it. Even so, the depth chart suggests Carolina still doesn’t love what it has behind Chandler Zavala and Brady Christensen, who started last week.
Jake Curhan, Ja'Tyre Carter and Isaia Glass didn’t do enough to force a change.
Tight end brings another clear snapshot of where things stand. Darren Waller is listed last because he hasn’t played yet and hasn’t really practiced, either.
Once he gets going, he’s expected to climb the chart and likely push Ja'Tavion Sanders into the third tight end spot. For now, Sanders remains behind Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans.
He was on the field with the starters plenty on Sunday, but not enough happened to move him up.
There’s also a notable development on the edge. Princely Umanmielen took over a starting role opposite Jaelan Phillips on Saturday and made the most of it.
With Pat Jones out and Nic Scourton sidelined by a torn ACL, Umanmielen stepped in and produced three pressures and two hits in just a handful of snaps. Even with that burst, he hasn’t overtaken Jones, who remains the starter opposite Phillips.
The Panthers clearly liked what they saw from the Umanmielen-Phillips pairing, but they still want more before making that switch.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Framed The Panthers Problem Fans Keep Debating
ESPNs latest future power rankings offered a blunt snapshot of where the Panthers stand as they try to build beyond the present. Louis Riddicks projection for 2027 to 2029 slotted Carolina 23rd overall with a score of 74.7, and the numbers echoed a familiar theme for this franchise: there are pieces worth believing in, but not enough certainty to make the climb feel quick or easy. The roster outside of quarterback came in 25th, while the coaching staff and front office were graded more respectably at 16th and 20th.
The debate around Carolina remains centered on whether the organization can get enough steady play from Bryce Young and keep the offense from being undone by health issues up front. ESPNs analysts pointed to the teams defensive spending and the arrival of rookie Tetairoa McMillan as reasons for some optimism, but the bigger question still hangs over the offense. Until the quarterback play becomes more consistent and the line stays intact, the Panthers are likely to keep drawing the kind of mixed reviews that leave fans arguing about whether the arrow is really pointing up. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Send A Clear Bryce Young Message In New Mock Draft
With the draft still ahead and a mid-first-round pick in hand, the Panthers are once again being sized up for how they plan to support Bryce Young. Carolina already addressed one important piece by selecting Monroe Freeling, who has worked his way into a starting role before the season even begins, and now the focus in a new mock draft has shifted to a different part of the roster. The projection has the Panthers picking seventh overall in 2027 and turning to pass rusher Colin Simmons, a move that speaks more to building the defense than chasing another quarterback.
For a team that has spent plenty of time under the microscope at the games most important position, the bigger takeaway is what the mock leaves out. Even with a deep class of quarterbacks available later in the round, Carolina does not come off this projection looking like a club in a hurry to replace Young or force the issue early. Instead, the message is one of patience and roster construction, with the Panthers betting their next major swing should come on the edge rather than under center. [Read more 🡒]