The Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver room is crowded enough that even a player who made the team as a rookie last year is now staring at a shaky path to Week 1.
Training camp this month is going to decide a lot, because the Panthers have a pile of receivers fighting for what should be a limited number of jobs. Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Chris Brazzell II, and Xavier Legette look like safe bets to stick, barring an unforeseen Legette trade.
McMillan is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Brazzell arrived as a third-round pick, and Coker earned an extension this offseason. Those four are not going anywhere.
Even if Carolina keeps seven receivers, there still may not be room for everyone who can make a case. That’s where Jimmy Horn Jr. comes in.
Horn made the roster last season as a sixth-round rookie, but the production never followed. He was often a healthy scratch and finished with just 19 touches in 13 games. His receiving line was 11 catches for 108 yards, and he didn’t score.
Now he’s back in the same fight, only with no clear sign that he’s taken a major step forward. He’s still viewed as a raw, electric, unproven piece in the Panthers’ offense.
After the four presumed locks, Carolina appears to have three spots left. David Moore is close to a lock because of his special teams value and Dave Canales’ clear trust in the veteran. That leaves two openings for the rest of the group, which is where Brycen Tremayne, Horn, John Metchie, and probably Malick Meiga enter the picture.
Tremayne also contributes on special teams, which gives him a strong case to stick as well. That would leave Horn and Metchie battling for what could be the last spot.
Metchie is a veteran who has been underwhelming, but he has at least flashed NFL-caliber ability at times. Horn has not.
There is still a path for Horn to win out on upside alone, especially if Carolina decides Metchie’s ceiling has already been explored. But that is far from a sure thing, and Meiga’s athletic profile could complicate the picture even more if he turns heads in camp.
Horn can still make the team. Right now, though, there’s a real chance the former Colorado product is on the outside looking in when Week 1 arrives.
In Other News...
Luke Fortner Weighs In As Bryce Young Center Battle Takes Shape
Luke Fortners first spring with Carolina has been about more than just learning a new playbook. The veteran center signed a one-year deal after four seasons split between Jacksonville and New Orleans, and he has quickly found himself in the middle of a competition for the starting job. Rookie Sam Hecht is in the mix too, but Fortner has the kind of experience that usually gives a player a head start when a team is trying to settle the middle of its offensive line.
For Fortner, the adjustment with Bryce Young has been straightforward, even with a smaller quarterback than the ones he worked with before. He said the spring reps have gone well and that snapping to Young does not change the centers responsibilities much at all. The bigger question now is how the Panthers sort out the battle from here, especially with the winner positioned to become Youngs primary center after the club has cycled through that spot over the past two seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defense Is Suddenly Drawing The Kind Of Buzz Fans Crave
Theres a different kind of optimism building around Carolinas defense as the offseason turns toward camp, and it starts with the idea that this group can finally look like a unit that changes games instead of just surviving them. The front offices additions have given defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero more pieces to work with, especially on the back end of the run defense and in the pass-rush mix, and the overall feeling is that this could become one of the leagues more complete defenses if the new parts fit quickly.
Everos challenge is turning that talent into consistent disruption without leaning too heavily on the blitz. His plan is to use versatility and movement up front to make blocking schemes harder to sort out, which is exactly the kind of approach that can lift a defense from respectable to dangerous. The lingering question is whether the Panthers can get enough pressure from the edge and the linebacker group to make the whole thing click, because the buzz is real only if the rush finally catches up to the rest of the defense. [Read more 🡒]